Lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors among hypertensives and the use of antihypertensive medication in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors among hypertensives and the use of antihypertensive medication in Lagos, Nigeria.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients who were attending the outpatients' clinic cardiology unit of the medical department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria were recruited into the study. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants.
Results: The mean age of the respondents was 53.9 +12.1 years. Forty-six percent were males and 54% females. Some of the participants indulged in unhealthy lifestyle such as daily smoking of cigarettes (5.0%) and alcohol consumption (10.8%). Some of the participants (45.3%) carry out physical exercises such as walking (71.0%). A large number of the participants (84.0%) believed that hypertension can be controlled. Half of the respondents (50%) had used medication for one to five years. Close to half of the participants (48.2%) stopped taking their medication because they experienced side effects in the past while 24.8% claimed they stopped their use of medication because they could not afford the drugs.
Conclusion: There is a need for public health experts to carry out educational campaigns to increase awareness on the implications of negative lifestyle and cardiovascular risks factors of hypertension, compliance and complications of hypertension. Clinicians should also consider the financial status of their patients in prescribing antihypertensive drugs to enable affordability.