Prevalence of Hypertension and Its Clinical and Psychological Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Ghana: A Secondary Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is common in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients with both T2DM and HTN have a higher risk of heart disease, kidney disorders, and mortality than those with either HTN or T2DM alone. Patients' psychological well-being plays a significant role in the optimum management of these chronic conditions. This study is aimed at determining the current prevalence of HTN and its related clinical and psychological factors in patients with T2DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with 156 patients diagnosed with T2DM. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. In addition, the following information was obtained from the patients' clinical files: blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, serum creatinine, and urine protein. Depression, resilience, and coping skills of the participants were measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Resilience Scale for Adults, and Brief COPE Inventory, respectively. Data were analyzed using STATA version 18, with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The median age of respondents was 62.0 (IQR: 51.50, 67.00) years. The majority was female (76.3%). The prevalence of HTN among the patients with T2DM was 79.9% (95% CI: 72.7-85.9). The average body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 28871kg/m2 with 34.8% and 36.2% being overweight and obese, respectively. The average HBA1C level was 8.6 +/- 2.1 with 71.8% of the patients having poor glycemic control. Increasing age, caregiver, and personal resilience were factors significantly associated with HTN (p value of <0.05) among patients with T2DM. Conclusion: The prevalence of HTN among T2DM patients was high; age, caregiver, and personal resilience significantly predicted HTN among T2DM patients. These findings have implications for healthcare providers in implementing strategies to reduce central obesity and incorporating resilience as an important factor in improving treatment outcomes in patients with T2DM.