article · PLoS ONE
The coexistence of diabetes and hypertension is a major health challenge globally, contributing to increased illness, mortality, and lower quality of life. An investigation in the Amhara region of Ethiopia assessed 470 diabetic patients across three referral hospitals to identify factors driving hypertension. By comparing 235 individuals with both conditions against 235 with diabetes alone, researchers evaluated physical activity, medication adherence, mental health, diet, and social support. The findings demonstrate that patients facing lower levels of physical activity, depression, poor glycaemic control, and a longer history of diabetes experience significantly higher risks of developing high blood pressure. In addition, an absence of diabetic health education, older age, and a family history of hypertension are key contributing factors. Addressing these identifiable behavioral, psychological, and clinical elements could improve patient outcomes in chronic disease care.
When diabetes and high blood pressure occur together, they amplify severe health complications and lower the quality of life. Recognizing specific lifestyle and clinical risk factors, such as physical inactivity, depression, and gaps in health education, allows healthcare providers to design targeted support programmes and preventive strategies that can protect vulnerable patients from developing multiple chronic conditions.
The findings could inform early-stage development of targeted clinical screening tools, digital health education platforms, and chronic disease management services for healthcare providers. These insights are primarily useful for public health authorities and clinic managers designing intervention programmes, though the research itself reflects observational clinical data rather than a commercial product or near-market application.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
BACKGROUND: The coexistence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension is a worldwide public health problem causing significant morbidity, mortality, and decreased quality of life. Despite the increasing burden of hypertension among patients with DM, data on determinants of hypertension among patients with DM in the Amhara region of Ethiopia is scarce. Hence, this study identified determinants of hypertension among people with diabetes attending chronic disease follow-up clinics in the Amhara region of comprehensive specialized hospitals in Ethiopia. METHOD AND MATERIALS: An institutional-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among 470 individuals with diabetes in the Amhara region's comprehensive specialized hospitals (Debre Berhan, Felege Hiwot, and Dessie Comprehensive specialized hospital). A multistage sampling technique was used to select participants for this study. We collected the data using standard questionnaires (short form of international physical activity questionnaire, Morisky medication adherence scale, patient health questionnaire, perceived dietary adherence scale, Oslo social support questionnaire, and alcohol use disorder identification test), physical measurements, and data extraction checklists. A multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted to identify determinants of hypertension, and we presented the findings using an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: 235 cases and 235 controls participated in this study. The median (IQR) age for the cases was 60 (52-66 = 14), and the mean age (± SD) for the controls was 51.72 (± 12.51). The significant determinants of hypertension with AOR [95% CI] were a lower level of physical activity: 1.82 [1.00, 3.31], depression: 2.00 [1.24, 3.21], family history of hypertension: 2.13 [1.34, 3.37], not having diabetic health education: 1.87 [1.18, 2.96], a longer duration of diabetes: 1.99 [1.05, 3.79], and poor glycemic control: 1.57 [1.01, 2.45]. CONCLUSION: In this study, determinants that increase the risk of hypertension among people with diabetes mellitus were older age, physical inactivity, depression, family history of hypertension, not having diabetic health education, a longer duration of diabetes, and poor glycemic control.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279245
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
