Risk factors and lifestyle habits in people with hypertension

Abstract

High blood pressure is one of the main threats to global public health, affecting more than one billion people and causing nearly ten million deaths annually. In Latin America, its prevalence is increasing due to limited access to preventive services and education. In order to analyze risk factors and lifestyle habits in the San Lorenzo parish of the Jipijapa canton, under a quantitative, exploratory and applied approach. A validated survey was used and applied to 83 patients with hypertension and diabetes. The results show that 43% of the population studied suffers from this condition, in addition, positive practices such as the consumption of water (95%), fruits (84%) and vegetables (86%) are evidenced, likewise, deficiencies persist: 78% add salt to their food and 22% eat out of home. A sedentary lifestyle is critical, as only 8% exercise daily compared to 86% occasionally. The emotional burden is also high: 100% get angry easily and 84% have depressive symptoms. As for treatment, 65% comply with medical indications, but 32% forget to take medication or control their blood pressure. The absence of smoking is protective, although lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption and poor stress management demand urgent public interventions.