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. 2023 Jan 12;13(1):e067327.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067327.

Associations between HIV status and self-reported hypertension in a high HIV prevalence sub-Saharan African population: a cross-sectional study

Katherine Davis  1 , Louisa Moorhouse  2 , Rufurwokuda Maswera  3 , Phyllis Mandizvidza  3 , Tawanda Dadirai  3 , Tafadzwa Museka  3 , Constance Nyamukapa  2   3 , Mikaela Smit  2 , Simon Gregson  2
Affiliations

Associations between HIV status and self-reported hypertension in a high HIV prevalence sub-Saharan African population: a cross-sectional study

Katherine Davis et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined whether HIV status and antiretroviral therapy (ART) exposure were associated with self-reported hypertension in Zimbabwe.

Design: Study data were taken from a cross-sectional, general population survey, which included HIV testing (July 2018-December 2019).

Setting: The data were collected in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe.

Participants: 9780 people aged 15 years and above were included.

Outcome measure: Self-reported hypertension was the outcome measure. This was defined as reporting a previous diagnosis of hypertension by a doctor or nurse. After weighting of survey responses by age and sex using household census data, χ2 tests and logistic regression were used to explore whether HIV status and ART exposure were associated with self-reported hypertension.

Results: The weighted prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 13.6% (95% CI 12.9% to 14.2%) and the weighted prevalence of HIV was 11.1% (10.4% to 11.7%). In univariable analyses, there was no evidence of a difference in the weighted prevalence of self-reported hypertension between people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV-negative people (14.1%, 11.9% to 16.3% vs 13.3%, 12.6% to 14.0%; p=0.503) or between ART-exposed and ART-naive PLHIV (14.8%, 12.0% to 17.7% vs 12.8%, 9.1% to 16.4%,p=0.388). Adjusting for socio-demographic variables in logistic regression did not alter this finding (ORs:HIV status:0.88, 0.70 to 1.10, p=0.261; ART exposure:0.83, 0.53 to 1.30, p=0.411).

Conclusions: Approximately one in seven PLHIV self-reported having hypertension, highlighting an important burden of disease. However, no associations were found between HIV status or ART exposure and self-reported hypertension, suggesting that it will be valuable to focus on managing other risk factors for hypertension in this population. These findings should be fully accounted for as Zimbabwe reorients its health system towards non-communicable disease control and management.

Keywords: HIV & AIDS; epidemiology; hypertension; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: SG declares holding shares in AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. All other authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of study participants. DBS, dried blood spot.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of reported hypertension in men and women by age and HIV status. Error bars: 95% CIs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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