title: Epidemiology and patterns of hypertension in semi-urban communities, south-western Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and subtypes of hypertension among semi-urban residents in south-western Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  All adults aged 18 years or older in 10 semi-urban communities were recruited for the study. The blood pressure (BP) reading taken with a validated electronic BP monitor after at least 10 minutes of rest was used in the analysis. Hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred and fifty subjects with a mean age of 61.7 ± 18.2 years participated in the study. The prevalence of hypertension was 55.5%. Stage 2 hypertension was the most common, present among 225 (54.1%) of the participants with hypertension, and 191 (45.9%) had stage 1 hypertension. Of those with hypertension, systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH) was present among 198/416 (47.6%), while isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) were present among 181/416 (43.6%) and 37/416 (8.9%), respectively. The prevalence of hypertension increased significantly with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of hypertension was high in these semi-urban communities. Hence, increased awareness and integrating hypertension care into primary healthcare and other community health services in these areas may prove beneficial in ameliorating its adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Email: dryemi@yahoo.com, maolamoyegun@lautech.edu.ng.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Olamoyegun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Nigeria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oluyombo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Iwuala
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Asaolu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018881:Suburban Health; D055815:Young Adult