Abstract
Introduction
Blood pressure control needs to be assessed at a primary care level, which is the first contact with patients.
Aims
To evaluate blood pressure readings among patients visiting a primary care clinic at a teaching university hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a primary care clinic at the King Khalid University Hospital from April to September 2013. Blood pressure readings were measured by trained nurses working in a primary care clinic during patients’ visits.
Results
The study showed that only 33.6 % of participants had a normal blood pressure reading, and 49.3 % of participants were diagnosed as hypertensive patients. The study showed that 74.7 % do not exercise, and 45 % have high stress levels in their life.
Conclusion
Uncontrolled blood pressure was common at this hospital-based primary care clinic, so it is recommended to educate primary care physicians to take care of blood pressure management and to educate and encourage patients about non-pharmacological advice like losing weight and coping with stress.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Little P, Barnett J, Barnsley L, Marjoram J, Barron A, Mart D. Comparison of acceptability of and preferences for different methods of measuring blood pressure in primary care. BMJ. 2002;325:258.
Daniel W, Lawrence J, Sheldon G, Edward J, Lenfant R. Measuring blood pressure accurately: new and persistent challenges. JAMA. 2003;289(8):1027–30.
Giles T, Materson B, Cohn J, Kostis J. Definition and classification of hypertension: an update. J Clin Hypertens. 2009;11:611–4.
Al-Nozha M, Abdullah M, Arafah M, Khalil M, Khan N, Al-Mazrou Y. Hypertension in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2007;28(1):77–84.
El-Hazmi MA, Warsy AS. Hypertension in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl. 1999;10:365–71.
Al-Nozha M, Osman A. The prevalence of hypertension in different geographical regions of Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 1998;18(5):401–7.
Berlowitz D, Arlene S, Elaine C, Hickey R, Friedman R, Glickman M, et al. Inadequate management of blood pressure in a hypertensive population. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1957–63.
Lioyd A, Schmieder C, Marchant N. Financial and health costs of uncontrolled blood pressure in the United Kingdom. PharmacoEconomics. 2003;21(1):33–41.
Hunter D, Reddy S. Non-communicable diseases. N Engl J Med. 2013;369:1336–43.
Hiatt W, Goldfine A, Sanjay K. Cardiovascular risk assessment in the development of new drugs for obesity. JAMA. 2012;308(11):1099–100.
Franco M, Bilal U, Ordonez P, Benet M, Morejon A, Caballero B, et al. Population-wide weight loss and regain in relation to diabetes burden and cardiovascular mortality in Cuba 1980–2010: repeated cross sectional surveys and ecological comparison of secular trends. BMJ. 2013;346:f1515.
Law M, Morris J, Wald N. Use of blood pressure lowering drugs in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of 147 randomised trials in the context of expectations from prospective epidemiological studies. BMJ. 2009;338:b1665.
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al Turki, Y.A. Blood Pressure Status During Consultation: A Primary Care Study. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 22, 79–82 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-014-0073-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-014-0073-0