Objective: This study was carried out to ascertain the prevalence of hypertension in our community with a view to forming a baseline and planning strategies for prevention and control.
Methods: A cross sectional study carried out by collecting data from randomly selected case notes of 3747 patients (1683 males and 2064 females), regarding age, sex, blood pressure measurements and whether or not they were on treatment for hypertension.
Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the total population was 3.1% (females 3.05% and males 2.67%). With regard to age group, the prevalence was highest in 65-74 years in both males and females.
Conclusion: There is a need for health education among our patients regarding the nature of hypertension and the relation between life style and hypertensive disease.