NATIONWIDE PREVALENCE STUDY OF HYPERTENSION AND RELATED NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN THE GAMBIA

The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity in The Gambia was assessed in a 1% population sample of 6048 adults over 15 years of ag e. 572 (9.5%) Subjects were hypertensive according to WHO criteria (a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 95 mmHg or above and/or a systolic b lood pressure (SEP) of 160 mmHg or above); 325 (5.4%) had a DBP of 95 mmHg or above, and 39 (2.3%) a DBP of 105 mmHg or above; 428 (7.1%) ha d a SBP of 160 mmHg or above. By less conservative criteria (a DBP of 90 mmHg or above and/or SBP of 140 mmHg or above), 24.2% of subjects w ere hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension. was similar in the m ajor ethnic groups and in urban and rural communities. Age and obesity were risk factors for hypertension; female sex was an additional risk factor for diastolic hypertension. Several communities had a prevalen ce of diastolic hypertension double the national rate, and significant community clustering of diastolic hypertension (P < 0.01) was confirm ed by Monte Carlo methods. Genetic and/or localized environmental fact ors (such as diet or Schistosoma haematobium infection), may be involv ed. 140 (2.3%) subjects were obese. Obesity was associated with female sex, increasing age, urban environment, non-manual work and diastolic hypertension. Only 14 (0.3%) subjects were found to be diabetic. Hype rtension appears to be very prevalent in The Gambia, with a substantia l population at risk of developing target organ damage. Further studie s to delineate this risk and appropriate interventions to reduce it ar e needed.