O-08 Blood Pressure Control and its Associated Risk Factors in Primary Care Outpatients using the HEARTS in the Americas Hypertension Treatment Protocol in Trinidad: A Cross-sectional Study
Author(s):
Z Mendoza, S Motilal
Year of Presentation:
2025
Objective: To determine the prevalence of blood pressure control and its associated risk factors among adult hypertensive patients using the HEARTS in the Americas hypertension treatment protocol, attending a primary care clinic in Trinidad.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a primary care outpatient clinic among adult hypertensive patients using the HEARTS hypertension treatment protocol over a four-month period. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were taken for each participant and factors associated with blood pressure control such as alcohol use, smoking status, physical activity, nutrition and treatment adherence were assessed through interviewer administered questionnaire.
Results: A total of 287 respondents were used for analysis (M 107, F 180). The overall proportion of patients with optimally controlled blood pressure was 52.3% (95% CI:46.5%-58.0%); with a mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure ±SD of 136.6 ±18.1 and 81.9 ±10.6 respectively. Most participants were on Step 1 of the HEARTS Hypertension treatment protocol (n=155, 54%). Blood pressure control was significantly and positively associated with higher monthly incomes of greater than $10,000 TT per month (AOR: 3.536, 95% CI: 1.255-9.957, p =0.017), while being overweight (AOR 0.459, 95% CI: 0.229-0.920, p=0.028) was significantly associated with lower odds of having optimally controlled blood pressure. Having an active lifestyle (AOR 2.240, 95% CI: 0.961-5.219) was positively associated with blood pressure control though not statistically significant. Patients over 60 years of age had higher adherence scores, representing higher medication (p= 0.003), and overall hypertensive therapy adherence (p= 0.001), while 46.3% of all participants had high adherence to their antihypertensive treatment therapy.
Conclusion: The blood pressure control rate found in this study has brought much needed attention to the benefits of using the HEARTS in the Americas hypertension treatment protocol as the latest global effort to target blood pressure control rates to combat the non-communicable disease burden.