title: Hypertension in the elderly: prevalence and health seeking behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major contributors of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Estimating the prevalence of hypertension and studying the health seeking behavior is important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and understand the health seeking behavior among the elderly in rural Puducherry, south India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 211 elderly from a rural community were selected by systematic random sampling. Blood pressure (BP) was measured. Socio-demographic characteristics and health seeking behavior were assessed by interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of hypertension among study participants was 40.5%. Prevalence of hypertension among elderly male subjects was 39.2% and in female subjects was 40.8%. About 62% (53 out of 85 hypertensives) were already aware of their hypertensive status. About 54.7% (29) were diagnosed at government health facilities either at primary health centers (PHCs) or a government hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Burden of hypertension among the elderly is high in rural areas. Strategies to detect and treat hypertension in the elderly have to be implemented early.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Palanivel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chinnakali
authors.forename: Bharathy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: Ravi Prakash
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.forename: Arvind Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yadav