HYPERTENSION IN HAITIANS - RESULTS OF A PILOT SURVEY OF A PUBLIC TEACHING HOSPITAL MULTISPECIALTY CLINIC

Little is known about hypertension in Haitians. We performed a pilot s urvey of ambulatory Haitian patients in a multispecialty clinic at a l arge public teaching hospital. Approximately 10% of the clinic populat ion was of Haitian origin. Clinical data were collected on 88 consecut ive Haitian patients. Of these 88, 77 (87.5%) were hypertensive (SBP g reater than or equal to 140 or DBP greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg o r taking antihypertensive medication). The characteristics of the hype rtensive patients were: age 54.1 +/- 13.0 (s.d.) years; 27 men, 50 wom en; 12/64 (19%) smoked; 7/63 (11%) used alcohol. Diabetes was present in 21/77 (27%). In patients for whom height and weight were available, obesity was present in 52%. Using JNC V criteria, 18 (23%) had Stage 1, 16(21%) Stage 2, 18(23%) Stage 3, and 25 (33%) Stage 4 hypertension . Despite 63/77 (82%) being treated for hypertension, only 20 (26%) we re controlled (<140/<90 mm Hg). Of those under treatment, 29 were taki ng one drug; 18 (two drugs); 12 (three drugs); and four (four drugs). Target organ damage was evident in 37 (48%), including coronary artery disease (8), CHF (6), chronic renal failure (15), stroke (9), and LVH by ECG (19). There was evidence of severe noncompliance in 32 (42%). We conclude that in this clinic sample, hypertension was highly preval ent and unusually severe in terms of blood pressure (BP) level, refrac toriness to treatment, and target organ consequences. Further studies are indicated.