Obesity in aged hypertension patients

Abstract

Exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, performed in a Health Centre in Portugal, whose goals were to characterize older adults with hypertension and identify cardiovascular risk factors associated with systemic arterial hypertension. The sample consisted of 250 older adults who, in a free and enlightened way, agreed to answer a structured interview. From the older adults surveyed, 43.6% were overweight and 39.6% were obese. It should be noted that 69.6% of the older adults had blood pressure over 140/90mmHg and 50.4% had total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dl. In conclusion, the majority of the older adult respondents had uncontrolled blood pressure levels as well as other cardiovascular risk factors, which highlights the importance of self-care in the control of chronic hypertension and better access to quality nursing care to promote healthier aging.