Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypertension in Nigeria is a widespread problem of immense social and economic importance because of its high prevalence and the severity of its complications. AIM: To define the morbidity and mortality pattern of hypertension at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). METHOD: Records of all patients admitted to the medical wards of the UPTH over a 5-year period with essential hypertension or any of its complications were retrieved from the ward and medical records and reviewed. RESULT: A total of 780 hypertensive patients were reviewed, constituting 28.2% of all medical admissions. Only 424 (15.2%) had complete records and were analyzed. Record keeping was poor. There were 173 (41%) males and 251 (59%) females with a male to female ratio of 1:1.5. The ages ranged from 18 years to 100 years with a mean of 56.5 +/- 16.2. Stroke was responsible for 169 (39.9%) hypertensive complications. Heart failure occurred in 97 (22%) cases while renal failure and encephalopathy accounted for 40 (9.4%) and 7 (1.7%) hypertensive complications respectively. There were 99 deaths out of which 51 (51.5%) were due to stroke, 14 (14.12%) were due to heart failure, and 12 (12.1%) were due to renal failure. CONCLUSION: The contribution of systemic hypertension to the morbidity and mortality of adults at UPTH is quite significant.