Prevalence of Hypertension in the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Article Sidebar

Full Text PDF
Published: 2026-04-14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61919/3r8h1f34
Keywords:
Hypertension; elderly population; blood pressure; prevalence; lifestyle factors; cardiovascular risk; aging; Pakistan.

Main Article Content

Hubba Saeed
MBA in Healthcare and Hospital Management, Karachi, Pakistan
Mehak Memon
University of Modern Sciences, Tando Muhammad Khan, Pakistan
Amna Tariq
Combined Military Hospital Kharian Medical College, Kharian, Pakistan
Alvera Rajper
Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Kahfelwara Ilyas
Gomal Medical College, Pakistan
Areej Noor
COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tayyab Nadeem
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and is especially common in older adults because of vascular aging and cumulative exposure to lifestyle-related risk factors. In developing countries, including Pakistan, hypertension in the elderly often remains underdiagnosed and inadequately controlled. Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension among elderly individuals attending a tertiary care hospital in Karachi and to examine its association with selected demographic and lifestyle factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 300 participants aged 65 years and older recruited from outpatient departments and inpatient wards between January and June 2024. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, smoking status, physical activity, dietary salt intake, and medical history. Blood pressure was measured using a standard digital sphygmomanometer, and hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure at least 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure at least 90 mmHg, or current use of antihypertensive medication. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 26 using descriptive statistics and chi-square testing. Results: Overall hypertension prevalence was 58.0% (174/300). Prevalence increased from 50.0% in participants aged 65-69 years to 69.2% in those aged 75 years or older (p=0.024). Irregular physical activity (66.0% vs 40.4%, p<0.001) and high salt intake (66.7% vs 47.8%, p=0.001) were strongly associated with hypertension, while the association with smoking was not statistically significant (p=0.097). Conclusion: Hypertension is highly prevalent among elderly patients in this tertiary care setting, with advancing age, low physical activity, and high salt intake showing the strongest associations. Routine screening and targeted lifestyle interventions are warranted.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 7 (2026)

Section

Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
Hubba Saeed, Mehak Memon, Amna Tariq, Alvera Rajper, Kahfelwara Ilyas, Areej Noor, et al. Prevalence of Hypertension in the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study. JHWCR [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 14 [cited 2026 Apr. 14];4(7):1-10. Available from: https://www.jhwcr.com/index.php/jhwcr/article/view/1390

References

1. Mills KT, Bundy JD, Kelly TN, Reed JE, Kearney PM, Reynolds K, et al. Global disparities of hypertension prevalence and control. Circulation. 2016;134(6):441-50.

2. Kearney PM, Whelton M, Reynolds K, Muntner P, Whelton PK, He J. Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. Lancet. 2005;365(9455):217-23.

3. World Health Organization. Hypertension. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021.

4. Franklin SS, Gustin W 4th, Wong ND, Larson MG, Weber MA, Kannel WB, et al. Hemodynamic patterns of age-related changes in blood pressure. The Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 1997;96(1):308-15.

5. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL Jr, et al. Seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. JAMA. 2003;289(19):2560-72.

6. Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, Casey DE Jr, Collins KJ, Dennison Himmelfarb C, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults. Hypertension. 2018;71(6):e13-e115.

7. Forouzanfar MH, Liu P, Roth GA, Ng M, Biryukov S, Marczak L, et al. Global burden of hypertension and systolic blood pressure of at least 110 to 115 mm Hg, 1990-2015. JAMA. 2017;317(2):165-82.

8. Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, Peto R, Collins R; Prospective Studies Collaboration. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality. Lancet. 2002;360(9349):1903-13.

9. Prince MJ, Wu F, Guo Y, Gutierrez Robledo LM, O'Donnell M, Sullivan R, et al. The burden of disease in older people and implications for health policy. Lancet. 2015;385(9967):549-62.

10. Beard JR, Officer A, de Carvalho IA, Sadana R, Pot AM, Michel JP, et al. The World report on ageing and health: a policy framework for healthy ageing. Lancet. 2016;387(10033):2145-54.

11. Ibrahim MM, Damasceno A. Hypertension in developing countries. Lancet. 2012;380(9841):611-9.

12. Basit A, et al. Prevalence of hypertension in Pakistan. J Hypertens. 2018;36(5):121-7.

13. Jafar TH, Levey AS, White F, Gul A, Rahbar MH, Khan AQ, et al. Ethnic differences and determinants of hypertension in South Asia. Hypertension. 2003;41(3):507-12.

14. NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. Worldwide trends in blood pressure from 1975 to 2015: a pooled analysis of 1479 population-based measurement studies with 19.1 million participants. Lancet. 2017;389(10064):37-55.

15. Lawes CMM, van Hoorn S, Rodgers A. Global burden of blood-pressure-related disease, 2001. Lancet. 2008;371(9623):1513-8.

16. Franklin SS. Hypertension in older people: part 1. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2006;8(6):444-9.

17. Aronow WS, Fleg JL. Hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the elderly. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57(20):2037-47.

18. Burt VL, Whelton P, Roccella EJ, Brown C, Cutler JA, Higgins M, et al. Prevalence of hypertension in the US adult population. Hypertension. 1995;25(3):305-13.

19. Ong KL, Cheung BMY, Man YB, Lau CP, Lam KSL. Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among United States adults 1999-2004. Hypertension. 2007;49(1):69-75.

20. Kannel WB. Risk stratification in hypertension: new insights from the Framingham Study. J Hypertens Suppl. 2000;18(1):S3-7.

21. Wang JG, Staessen JA, Franklin SS, Fagard R, Gueyffier F. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure lowering as determinants of cardiovascular outcome. Hypertension. 2005;45(5):907-13.

22. Lloyd-Sherlock P, Beard J, Minicuci N, Ebrahim S, Chatterji S. Hypertension among older adults in low- and middle-income countries: prevalence, awareness and control. Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(1):116-28.

23. Chow CK, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, Islam S, Gupta R, Avezum A, et al. Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in rural and urban communities in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. JAMA. 2013;310(9):959-68.

24. Beaney T, Schutte AE, Tomaszewski M, Ariti C, Burrell LM, Castillo RR, et al. May Measurement Month 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening results worldwide. Lancet Glob Health. 2018;6(7):e736-43.

25. Geldsetzer P, Manne-Goehler J, Marcus ME, Ebert C, Zhumadilov Z, Wesseh CS, et al. The state of hypertension care in 44 low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study of nationally representative individual-level data from 1.1 million adults. Lancet. 2019;394(10199):652-62.