Awareness, Treatment and Control of Hypertension in Nigeria: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Inadequate hypertension diagnosis and management in Nigeria is a key contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and death. To direct appropriate preventive actions in Nigeria, a better knowledge of the existing burden of hypertension is required, including awareness, treatment, and management. To evaluate the trends of hypertension throughout the nation's various states, a systematic review was done. Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to find empirical research on hypertension and obesity in adult Nigerians. In order to find original publications about the recognition, management, and control of hypertension in Nigeria published between 2002 and 2022, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL were used as the major databases. Africa, Nigeria, awareness, therapy, control, and hypertension were the main search phrases. To provide for more research, the bibliographies mentioned in the indicated papers were investigated. The articles' full texts were retrieved from a variety of online resources. This data was gathered using a data extraction form. Results: The requirements for inclusion were satisfied by 48 studies from each of the nation's six geopolitical regions. Regional differences in awareness, treatment, and control were significant. The awareness of rural people was lower than that of urban people. The South-South region has the greatest prevalence of hypertension. The lowest rates of hypertension management were seen in the South-West. Even among respondents who were aware of their condition and those who were receiving treatment, there was typically inadequate control of hypertension across the nation. There were no estimates specific for either gender. Conclusion: Hypertension is only marginally understood, treated, and controlled. For hypertension patients in Nigeria to experience improved outcomes, tailored studies are needed to identify the precise causes of these low levels.