Prevalence of hypertension and impaired renal function in diabetic patients attending ahmadu bello university Teaching Hospital (Abuth), Shika, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of hypertension and impaired renal function in diabetic patients attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Two hundred subjects (one hundred and twenty diabetic and eighty control subjects) attending the diabetic clinic of the hospital were evaluated between the months of May and June, 2012. From the results, the prevalence of hypertension among diabetic patients attending the hospital was 78.33%. A total of 63.33% of the patients have type II diabetes mellitus, while 36.67% had type I. The urea, potassium, bicarbonate and glucose levels were normal and creatinine (58.33%) and sodium (88.1%) levels were abnormal in most patients. The result shows that 80%) of female patients between 50 to 59 years were hypertensive, while 40% of the males within the same age range were also hypertensive. Also, 30% of unemployed diabetic patients attending the hospital were hypertensive, while none of the control subjects were hypertensive. Most of the diabetic patients (40%) were primary school certificate holders, while 2.5% of the patients had a post graduate degree. In conclusion, the high prevalence of hypertension and renal impairment are public health challenges and so educational programs on monitoring of blood sugar and screening of risk factors for hypertension, early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension should be given periodically.