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Prevelence of Hypertension and Associated Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Crossectional Study in an Urban Community in North Western Nigeria

Background: The prevalence of hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Gusau north western Nigeria is on the increasing trend. Hypertension is a major public health problem in Gusau the Zamfara State capital. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Shaiskawa area of   
Gusau in the North western Nigeria.

          Methods: A consenting adult populations of Shaiskawa community in Gusau North western Nigeria participated for the screening exercise. Two hundred and one respondents aged 18 years and above completed a standardized, structured, pretested, questionnaire which was part of the activities celebrating World Hypertension Day in 2025. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure and blood glucose of the respondents were recorded, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.

Results: Most of the respondents were female 113(56.2%) and majority of them were within the age of 51-60 years 48(28.8%). Out of 201 participants 63(31.3%) of them were found to be pre hypertensive, 111(51.3%) of them were hypertensive, 60(33.8%) of them were overweight, 46(22.9%) were obese, 28(13.9%) were prediabetics, and 11(5.5%) of them were diabetics.

Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension is found to be high with an increasing prevalence of prehypertension, overweight and obesity among the respondents.

Community-based screening programme and regular health education activities should be given priority for the early detection and prevention of hypertension and it associated cardiovascular risk factors.

Keywords: Cardiovascular, Prevalence, Risk factors, Hypertension, Urban community.