Hypertension-related complications and associated factors among adult patients on follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Southeast Ethiopia

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Despite efforts to mitigate this problem, comprehensive studies on the magnitude of hypertension-related complications are lacking. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension-related complications and associated factors among hypertensive patients who were on follow up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospitals in Southeast Ethiopia. Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital from October 29, 2024, to December 21, 2024. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and patient chart reviews. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with complications. Results A total of 317 study participants were involved in this study. The mean age of the participants was 58.2 ± 11.5 years. In this study, the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 47.3 % (95% CI: 41.8, 52.7). The results of the multivariable logistic analysis revealed that a family history of hypertension (AOR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3–3.5), a sedentary lifestyle (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.16–3.12), and the discontinuation of antihypertensive medications (AOR 4.96, 95% CI: 1.87–13.12) were significantly associated with hypertension-related complications. Conclusion This study revealed a high burden of hypertension related complications, affecting nearly one out of every two patients. Key contributing factors included family history of hypertension, sedentary life style, and non-adherence to antihypertensive medications. Hypertension Complications Treatment adherence Asella Ethiopia Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Background Hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and deaths worldwide especially in low- and middle-income countries( 1 ). In accordance with most major guidelines, hypertension is diagnosed at systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg ( 1 – 4 ). Globally, hypertension affects approximately 1.39 billion adults, with prevalence rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to urbanization, demographic shifts, and lifestyle changes ( 5 – 7 ). Between 1990 and 2019, the number of hypertensive individuals doubled from 650 million to 1.3 billion, with LMICs—particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)—bearing the highest burden due to low awareness, poor treatment adherence, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure ( 6 , 8 – 13 ). Hypertension is often asymptomatic, earning its reputation as a "silent killer"( 7 ).Undiagnosed or poorly managed HTN leads to severe complications, including stroke, heart failure, renal disease, and premature death( 14 – 17 ). Despite advances in treatment, only less than half of hypertensive patients achieve blood pressure control, partly due to socioeconomic barriers and fragmented healthcare systems ( 7 , 18 – 20 ). Untreated hypertension accelerates atherosclerosis, ventricular hypertrophy, and end-organ damage, contributing to majority of global heart disease deaths and stroke mortality ( 2 , 14 , 21 ). In SSA, hypertension prevalence reaches 30–38%, with projections suggesting 216.8 million cases by 2030( 22 , 23 ). Ethiopia mirrors this trend: recent meta-analyses report HTN prevalence of 24–35%, with studies suggesting a hidden epidemic ( 9 , 12 , 24 – 26 ). More than half of patients (56.2%) in Bedele General Hospital had uncontrolled hypertension, while Asella Referral Hospital documented rising incidence rates ( 27 , 28 ). Hypertension accounts for the majority of cardiovascular deaths in Ethiopia ( 21 ), yet research on its complications remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by assessing HTN-related complications and associated factors at Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital, providing critical evidence for policymakers and clinicians. Methods and materials Study area and period This study was conducted at Arsi University Asella referral and teaching hospital, Arsi Zone, Oromia regional state, from October 29, 2024, to December 21, 2024. The Arsi Zone is one of the twenty-one zones found in the Oromia Regional State. The Arsi Zone has 25 woredas and four urban administrations. The Arsi Zone has one referral and teaching hospital (Arsi University referral and teaching hospital) and seven public hospitals. It was situated 163.5 kilometers from the capital city of Addis Ababa toward the southeastern part of Ethiopia. Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital provides preventive, curative, and diagnostic services to Asella town and the surroundings of approximately 3.5 million people and serves as a referral center. It was one of the early established public Institutions found in the heart of the town and was built on 4.3 hectares. The hospital has 297 beds. Specialized departments include the emergency room, OPD, internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, fistula unit, surgery, oncology, dermatology, radiology units, ophthalmology, psychiatry, and ICU. The internal medicine department has general medical wards (a female ward with 16 beds for general patients, 6 beds for TB patients, 2 beds for private patients and isolation, and a male ward with 18 beds for general patients, 6 beds for TB patients, and 2 beds for private patients and isolation). Additionally, it has a high dependency unit (HDU) that has 4 beds and an ICU that has 6 beds. Patients who are receiving follow-up for chronic diseases have diabetes, neurology, and general medical follow-up clinics. The hospital has cardiologists, neurologists, internists, and residents currently in the Department of Internal Medicine. According to the information obtained from the logbook, every day, a minimum of 15 hypertensive patients and a maximum of 35 hypertensive patients visit the follow-up clinic. Approximately 400 hypertensive patients visited the general medical follow-up clinic in the past month, and approximately 1250 patients visited it annually. Study design A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted Sample size and sampling procedures Sample size determination The sample size was calculated via a single population proportion formula on the basis of the following assumptions: 95% confidence interval, a margin of error of 5%, and a 52.7% (p) prevalence of hypertension-related complications, as reported by a study performed at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital ( 15 ). We used the correctional formula since our source population is less than 10,000. After adding 10% nonresponse, the final sample size of 322. Data collection tools and procedures Data were collected via a structured questionnaire, which was developed after a review of the relevant literature and was translated into the Afan Oromo language and translated back to English to ensure consistency. It was pretested on five percent of the sample size before the actual survey. Several questions addressing the objectives of this study were adapted from various previous studies and modified accordingly. The questionnaire consists of different sections, including sociodemographic variables, behavioral and lifestyle factors, and clinical and investigative-related factors. Patients were recruited into the study during their clinic visits. Informed consent, as well as the subject’s identification and medical record number, was obtained after a careful explanation of the purpose and procedure of the study. Data regarding sociodemographic characteristics were obtained via face‒to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and data regarding clinical and laboratory characteristics were collected through a review of patients' charts. The data collectors included one trained internal medicine resident and two BSc nurses. Data processing and analysis procedure The collected data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and analyzed via SPSS version 27.0 statistical packages. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to describe the number and percentage of the variables. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the unadjusted relationships between the predictors and dependent variables. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with hypertension-related complications. Those variables with a P value of < 0 were subsequently included. 25 were entered into multiple logistic regressions to identify independent predictors. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to determine the strength of the association. The model goodness of fit was tested by the Hosmer and Lemeshow technique, and the presence of multicollinearity was checked by estimating variance inflation factors. The strength of the association was measured with the AOR with 95% CI. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a probability value of < 0.05. Ethical Consideration statement Ethical issues were addressed at all stages of the research process. Ethical clearance was obtained from Ethical Review Committee (ERC) of Arsi University College of Health Sciences (A/CHS/RC/137/2024). Detailed information about the purpose of the study was provided to participants in their local language. They were informed about why they were selected and were assured that their participation was entirely voluntary. The study did not involve any unfamiliar procedures and had no risks to the participants. The participants were guaranteed that their access to healthcare services remained the same, regardless of their decision to participate. They were also notified that data collectors would extract relevant information from their medical records. All the collected data were used for research purposes. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained by recording only necessary information and excluding personal identifiers (e.g., names). Finally, written informed consent was obtained for those who can read and write while oral consent obtained and signed by witnesses for illiterate participants prior to data collection. Results Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants In this study, a total of 317 study participants participated, with a 98.14% response rate. The mean age of the clients was 58.2 ± 11.5 years. Approximately two-thirds (63.70%) of the participants were aged 45–65 years. More than half (56.5%) of the study participants were male. Approximately 60% of the respondents (187, 59%) resided in rural areas. The study indicated that the great majority (81.7%) of the participants were married. Additionally, the findings revealed that approximately three-fourths of the participants (71.9%) had a formal education. Among the participants, approximately one-third (31.9%) were farmers. Among the total participants, approximately 60% (58.7%) had ≤ 5 families. Moreover, approximately 40% of the participants (40.7%) had 5000–10,000 ETB monthly income (Table 1 ). Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of study participants, ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Characteristics Category Frequency Percent Sex of participants Male 179 56.5 Female 138 43.5 Age of participants 60 years 134 42.3 Marital status Married 259 81.7 Widowed 39 12.3 Divorced 13 4.1 Unmarried 6 1.9 Educational level No formal education 89 28.1 Primary school ( 1 – 8 ) 105 33.1 Secondary school ( 9 – 12 ) 51 16.1 Collage and above 72 22.7 Occupation Farmer 101 31.9 Housewife 89 28.1 Government employee 43 13.6 Self employed 33 10.4 Retired 31 9.8 Merchant 14 4.4 Others (daily labor, student, etc.) 6 1.8 Residence Rural 187 59.0 Urban 130 41.0 Family size =5 178 41.3 Average monthly household income ˂ 5000 ETB 125 39.4 5000-10,000 ETB 129 40.7 ˃ 10,000 ETB 63 19.9 BMI Underweight ( = 30) 19 5.9 Community based health insurance enrollment Yes 211 66.6 No 106 33.4 Behavioral and lifestyle characteristics of the participants The findings of this study indicate that a significant proportion of the study population had a history of alcohol consumption and smoking at some point in their lives. Among the total respondents, 128 (40.4%) had previously consumed alcohol but had since quit, whereas 27 (8.5%) were still actively drinking. Additionally, 26 (8.2%) reported being current smokers. The study also revealed that more than one-third of the participants (39.7%) led a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, 34 (10.7%) participants regularly consumed foods high in salt despite being aware of their hypertension status (Table 2 ). Table 2 Behavioral and lifestyle characteristics of the study participants, ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Characteristics Category Frequency Percent Smoking history Never smoked 244 77.0 Former smoker 47 14.8 Active smoker 26 8.2 Alcohol consumption Never drank alcohol 162 51.1 Former drinker 128 40.4 Active drinker 27 8.5 High salt intake No 283 89.3 Yes 34 10.7 Consuming foods high in saturated & trans fats No 298 94.0 Yes 19 6.0 Fruit and vegetables serving days per week 5 3 0.9 Physical activity Moderate 191 60.3 Sedentary 126 39.7 Clinical characteristics of the participants The findings of this study indicate that approximately sixty percent (59.6%) of the patients had a family history of hypertension. Additionally, approximately three-fourths (76.3%) of the study participants presented with elevated blood pressure, and the majority of them (97.2%) were on antihypertensive medications. However, approximately 20 (6.3%) patients discontinued their medication without a doctor's approval. Among the total participants, 35 (11.0%) had diabetes mellitus, 8 (2.5%) had chronic kidney disease, and 97 (30.6%) had cardiac disease. Furthermore, more than one-third (38.8%) of the study participants had a history of previous hospitalization due to elevated blood pressure and its complications. The study findings revealed that a significant proportion of participants experienced various symptoms indicating hypertension complications. A history of decreased urine output and body swelling was reported by 27 patients (8.5%), whereas 35 (11%) experienced orthopnea. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) was noted in 31 patients (9.8%), and chest pain was reported by 8 (2.5%). Additionally, blurring of vision was prevalent among 108 (34.1%) patients, and 27 (8.5%) experienced a sudden onset of body weakness (Table 3 ). Table 3 Clinical characteristics of hypertension patients on follow up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Characteristics Category Frequency Percent Family history of Hypertension status Yes 189 59.6 No 128 40.4 Blood pressure Normal 75 23.7 Prehypertension 99 31.2 Stage I HTN 119 37.5 Stage II HTN 24 7.6 Duration of HTN 10 yrs. 34 10.7 Anti-hypertension medication Yes 308 97.2 No 9 2.8 Drugs names Only Amlodipine 73 23.4 Only Enalapril 42 13 Only Hydrochlorothiazide 21 6.6 Two and above 172 54.2 Anti-hypertension drug discontinuation Yes 30 9.5 No 287 90.5 Hospitalization History Yes 123 38.8 No 194 61.2 Diabetes Mellitus Yes 35 11.0 No 282 89.0 Previous renal disease Yes 8 2.5 No 309 97.5 Known cardiac disease Yes 27 8.7 No 290 91.3 Cardiac disease Yes 97 30.6 No 220 69.4 Do you have any of these symptoms? Orthopnea 35 11.0 Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea 31 9.8 Body swelling (Edema) 21 6.6 Chest pain 8 2.5 None 222 70.0 Blurring & double vision Yes 108 34.1 No 209 65.9 Pain in the calf of muscle Yes 18 5.6 No 299 94.3 Sudden onset of body weakness Yes 27 8.5 No 290 91.5 Investigation characteristics In this study, nearly half (46.1%) of the study participants underwent kidney ultrasound, with the majority (126, 86.3%) showing normal findings. Additionally, approximately 24 (7.6%) of the participants had a brain CT scan, and 11 (3.5%) were diagnosed with stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic). Furthermore, 144 (45.4%) participants underwent ECHO or ECG, revealing ischemic heart disease (IHD) in 22 (6.9%) patients and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) in 67 (21.1%) patients. Finally, only 37 (15.5%) patients received an ophthalmic evaluation, and approximately 9(2.8%) patients had glaucoma among those who underwent evaluation (Table 4 ). Table 4 Investigation related characteristics of hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Characteristics Category Frequency Percent Kidney ultrasound Yes 146 46.1 No 171 53.9 Result of ultrasound Normal 125 85.6 Renal parenchymal disease 17 11.6 CKD 4 2.7 Brain CT scan Yes 11 3.5 No 306 96.5 CT scan results Hemorrhage stroke 1 0.3 Ischemic stroke 10 3.2 Echo or ECG Yes 142 44.8 No 175 55.2 Echo or ECG Normal 55 17.4 IHD 22 6.9 HHD 65 20.5 Ophthalmic evaluation Yes 37 11.7 No 280 88.3 Ophthalmic evaluation results Normal 21 6.6 Glaucoma 9 2.8 Cataract 4 1.3 Other 3 0.9 Prevalence of hypertension-related complications In this study, the overall incidence of hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients was 47.3% (95% CI: 41.8, 52.7). Among the total hypertension patients included in this study, a greater prevalence of hypertension-related complications was observed among patients aged older than 65 years than among younger (< 30 years) patients (Fig. 1 ). According to this study, nearly half of the patients with hypertension-related complications (70 (46.7%)) had heart disease), whereas 26 (18%) were diagnosed with dyslipidemia (Fig. 2 ). Factors associated with hypertension-related complications This study employed bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors influencing the incidence of hypertension-related complications among patients. In the bivariate analysis, factors with a p value of less than 0.25 were considered, including sex, residence, physical activity, high salt intake, family history of hypertension, discontinuation of antihypertensive medication, and previous hospitalization history. However, in the multivariable logistic regression analysis, only a family history of hypertension, a sedentary lifestyle, and discontinuation of antihypertensive medication were significantly associated with hypertension-related complications (p < 0.05). Participants with a family history of hypertension had approximately two times greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than did those without a family history of hypertension (AOR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.29–3.47). In addition, participants with a sedentary lifestyle had 1.9 times greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than those with a moderately active lifestyle did (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.16–3.12). Moreover, participants who discontinued antihypertensive medications without consulting healthcare professionals had an approximately fivefold increased risk of developing hypertension-related complications compared with those who were adherent to their medications (AOR 4.96, 95% CI: 1.87–13.12) (Tables 5 and 6 ). Table 5 Bivariate logistic regression analysis of factors associated with hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Variable Category Hypertension complications COR (CI = 95%) P value No Yes Sex of participant Male 105(62.9%) 74(49.3%) 1 Female 62(37.1%) 97(55.7%) 1.74(1.11–2.72) 0.016 Participant residence Urban 79(47.3%) 51(34.0%) 1 Rural 88(52.7%) 99(66.0%) 1.74(1.10–2.74) 0.017 Family size =5 87(52.1%) 99(66.0%) 1.78(1.13–2.81) 0.012 High salt intake Yes 22(13.2%) 12(8.0%) 1.745(0.83–3.66) 0.141 No 145(86.8%) 138(92.0%) 1 Physical activity Sedentary 51(30.5%) 75(50.0%) 2.28(1.44–3.60) 0.000 Moderate 116(69.5%) 75(50.0%) 1 Family history of hypertension Yes 86(51.5%) 103(68.7%) 2.06(1.30–3.27) 0.001 No 81(48.5%) 47(31.3%) 1 Hospitalization history Yes 58(34.7%) 65(43.3%) 1.44(0.91–2.26) 0.117 No 109(65.3%) 85(56.7%) 1 Discontinuation of anti-hypertensive Yes 6(3.6%) 24(16.0%) 5.11(2.03–12.88) 0.001 No 161(96.4%) 126(84.0%) 1 Table 6 Multivariable logistic regression analysis of factors associated with hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N = 317) Variable Category Hypertension-related complications AOR (CI = 95%) P value No Yes Sex of participant Male 105(62.9%) 74(49.3%) 1 Female 62(37.1%) 97(55.7%) 1.46(0.89–2.37) 0.127 Participant residence Urban 79(47.3%) 51(34.0%) 1 Rural 88(52.7%) 99(66.0%) 1.59(0.97–2.61) 0.066 Family size < 5 80(47.9%) 51(34.0%) 1 ≥ 5 87(52.1%) 99(66.0%) 1.52(0.92–2.51) 0.105 High salt intake Yes 22(13.2%) 12(8.0%) 1.89(0.85–4.23) 0.118 No 145(86.8%) 138(92.0%) 1 Physical activity Sedentary 51(30.5%) 75(50.0%) 1.90(1.16–3.12) 0.011 Moderate 116(69.5%) 75(50.0%) 1 Family history of hypertension Yes 86(51.5%) 103(68.7%) 2.11(1.29–3.47) 0.003 No 81(48.5%) 47(31.3%) 1 Hospitalization history Yes 58(34.7%) 65(43.3%) 1.33(0.81–2.20) 0.258 No 109(65.3%) 85(56.7%) 1 Discontinuation of anti-hypertensive Yes 6(3.6%) 24(16.0%) 4.96(1.87–13.21) 0.001 No 161(96.4%) 126(84.0%) 1 Discussion This study assessed hypertension-related complications and associated factors among patients who attended the regular medical follow-up clinic at Asella Teaching and Reporting Hospital. In this study, the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 47.3%. This finding is almost comparable with that of a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital, which reported that the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 52.7% ( 15 ). Additionally, the findings of this study are lower than those of a study conducted at the Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir, which reported a higher prevalence of 60% ( 29 ). The variation in prevalence rates across these studies may be attributed to differences in study populations, study periods, healthcare access, and regional risk factors. Additionally, this study highlights several common complications associated with hypertension, including heart disease, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, eye problems, and stroke. Among these, heart disease is the most prevalent complication, followed by dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus. These findings align with previous research conducted at Christian University of Indonesia Hospital, which also identified heart disease as the most frequent complication observed in hypertensive patients ( 30 ). This study's findings differ from those of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital in terms of the order of the most prevalent complications. While this study revealed heart disease to be the most prevalent complication, followed by dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, the University of Gondar study reported that diabetes mellitus was the most common complication, followed by dyslipidemia, kidney disease, and stroke. However, dyslipidemia was the second most prevalent complication in both studies ( 15 ). Furthermore, these findings differ from those of another previous study conducted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, which reported that patients with cerebrovascular disease (stroke) were the most prevalent complication ( 17 ). This study also identified factors associated with hypertension-related complications, such as a family history of hypertension, a sedentary lifestyle, and the discontinuation of antihypertensive medication without consulting healthcare professionals. According to the findings of this study, participants with a family history of hypertension were more likely to have hypertension-related complications. This aligns with the findings of a study from the University of Gondar, which revealed that participants who had a family history of hypertension were more likely to develop complications than those who had no family history of hypertension ( 15 ). Additionally, this finding is supported by a previous study conducted at the Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir ( 29 ). The possible reason for this finding could be that a family history of hypertension significantly increases the risk of developing hypertension-related complications due to a genetic predisposition. Additionally, individuals whose parents are hypertensive are more likely to develop high blood pressure at an earlier age, leading to prolonged exposure to hypertension-related complications. Moreover, shared lifestyle factors within families, such as high-sodium diets, obesity, and physical inactivity, may further contribute to the risk. Moreover, the findings of this study indicated that a sedentary lifestyle was associated with a greater risk of hypertension-related complications. This finding is consistent with a previous study conducted at the University of Gondar and Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir, which indicated that physical inactivity contributes to the development and progression of hypertension-related health issues( 15 , 29 ). This might be because a sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity, insulin resistance, and poor cardiovascular health, all of which increase the likelihood of hypertension-related complications. However, regular physical activity helps regulate blood pressure by improving heart function, reducing arterial stiffness, and maintaining healthy body weight. Furthermore, participants who discontinued anti-hypertension medications without consulting a doctor had greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than did those who adhered to their medications. This finding is supported by a study carried out at Seoul National University Hospital in the Republic of Korea, which revealed that discontinuing antihypertensive medication without consulting a doctor can lead to a greater risk of hypertension-related complications ( 30 ). This could be because adherence to antihypertensive medication is crucial for preventing complications such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney damage. Patients who discontinue their medication often experience uncontrolled blood pressure, which can accelerate organ damage. Conclusion This study revealed a high burden of hypertension related complications, affecting nearly one out of every two patients. Key contributing factors included family history of hypertension, sedentary life style, and non-adherence to antihypertensive medications. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, such as patient education on treatment adherence, promotion of physical activity, and routine screening for high-risk individuals to mitigate complications in this population. Acronyms and Abbreviations AOR- Adjusted Odd Ratio; ATRH- Asella Teaching and referral hospital; BP- Blood Pressure; CBHI- Community-Based Health Insurance; CHD- Coronary Heart Disease; CI- Confidence Interval; CKD- Chronic Kidney Disease; COR- Crude Odd Ratio; CT -Computed Tomography; CVA- Cerebrovascular Accident; DM- Diabetes Mellitus; ECG- Electrocardiography; ECHO- Echocardiography; EDHS -Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey; ERC -Ethical Review Committee; ETB -Ethiopian Birr; FMoH -Federal Ministry of Health; HDU -High Dependency Unit; HHD -Hypertensive Heart Disease; HICs- High-Income Countries; HTN -Hypertension; ICU- Intensive Care Unit; IHD -Ischemic Heart Disease; LICs -Low-Income Countries; LMICs- Low and middle income Countries; mmHg- Millimeter of Mercury; NCD- Non-communicable Disease; OPD -Out Patient Department; PAD- Peripheral Arterial Disease; SH- Systolic Hypertension; SPSS- Statistical Package for Social Sciences; SSA- Sub-Saharan Africa; TB -Tuberculosis; TOD -Target Organ Damage; WHO- World Health Organization Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee (ERC) of Arsi University College of Health Sciences (A/CHS/RC/137/2024). Participants received detailed information about the study’s purpose in their local language, including the rationale for their selection and assurance of voluntary participation. The study involved no unfamiliar procedures or risks to participants. Participants were guaranteed that their access to healthcare services would not be affected by their decision to participate. They were also informed that data collectors would review their medical records for relevant information. All collected data were used solely for research purposes, with confidentiality and anonymity maintained by excluding personal identifiers. Written informed consent was obtained from literate participants, while oral consent (witnessed and documented) was secured for illiterate participants prior to data collection. Availability of data and materials Datasets used during the current study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable requests. Competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding This work was funded by Arsi University College of health sciences. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the manuscript. Authors’ contributions SK contributed to the study conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript drafting. TA and AE participated in the study conception, design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and manuscript writing. All authors critically reviewed, edited, and approved the final manuscript for submission. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Arsi University College of Health Sciences for the financial support that made this study possible. Our gratitude also extends to Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital for facilitating access to the data required for this research. 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Uncontrolled hypertension and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients on follow-up at public hospitals, Eastern Ethiopia: A multicenter study. SAGE Open Med. 2022;10:20503121221104442. Abegaz TM, Abdela OA, Bhagavathula AS, Teni FS. Magnitude and determinants of uncontrolled blood pressure among hypertensive patients in Ethiopia: hospital-based observational study. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2018;16(2). Masenga SK, Kirabo A. Hypertensive heart disease: risk factors, complications and mechanisms. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1205475. Adeloye D, Basquill C. Estimating the prevalence and awareness rates of hypertension in Africa: a systematic analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(8):e104300. Lee EKP, Poon P, Yip BHK, Bo Y, Zhu MT, Yu CP, et al. Global Burden, Regional Differences, Trends, and Health Consequences of Medication Nonadherence for Hypertension During 2010 to 2020: A Meta-Analysis Involving 27 Million Patients. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(17):e026582. Asresahegn H, Tadesse F, Beyene E. Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adults in Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes. 2017;10(1):629. Legese N, Tadiwos Y. Epidemiology of hypertension in Ethiopia: a systematic review. Integr blood Press control. 2020:135–43. Tesfa E, Demeke D. Prevalence of and risk factors for hypertension in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Sci Rep. 2021;4(3):e372. Bonsa F, Gudina EK, Hajito KW. Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in Bedele Town, Southwest Ethiopia. Ethiop J health Sci. 2014;24(1):21–6. Wake AD, Tuji TS, Sime AT, Mekonnin MT, Taji TM, Hussein AA. Nonadherence to Self-Care Practices, Antihypertensive Medications, and Associated Factors among Hypertensive Patients in a Follow-up Clinic at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Hypertens. 2021;2021:7359318. PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF HYPERTENSION COMPLICATIONS AMONG. HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS: A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY. Suling FR, Agustian Z, Enggar D. 18 Prevalence of hypertension and its complication in emergency room Christian University of Indonesia Hospital in 2017. J Hypertens. 2018;36:e5. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 22 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 19 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 19 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 14 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6446246","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":442722404,"identity":"12f78ec1-0cae-439f-8e4d-2559b9520f20","order_by":0,"name":"Tamiru Adugna","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFCCBBAhwcDA3gCkDSyI0sLYANbCcwCkRYJoLSCLYNYRAvztOeYPfuZY5BvcfH51w48CCaBIdwJeLRJn3hg29m6TsNxwO6fsZg/QYRJnzm7Ab82NHMMG3m0SBga3c9Ju8AC1GEjk4tciD9TS+Bek5eaZtJt/iNFiANTSDLblBvux20TZYnjmWeFsWaAWyTM5bLdlDCR4CPpF7njyho9vt9UZ8B0//uzmmz82cvztvQS8jwA8BmCSWOUgwP6AFNWjYBSMglEwggAAj3FJz2cuDbkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tamiru","middleName":"","lastName":"Adugna","suffix":""},{"id":442722405,"identity":"64980a9d-f528-4413-b5db-8ed9d2b27a1c","order_by":1,"name":"Samuel Kokobe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Samuel","middleName":"","lastName":"Kokobe","suffix":""},{"id":442722406,"identity":"8c69fef6-d987-42f4-b239-cc77b634a1e6","order_by":2,"name":"Amde Eshete","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Arsi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amde","middleName":"","lastName":"Eshete","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-14 12:58:21","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6446246/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6446246/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-025-05415-y","type":"published","date":"2025-12-07T15:58:00+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":80780593,"identity":"c434f4f3-0c8e-4f11-ac12-2a9743b6941e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-17 04:31:50","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":18297,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePrevalence of hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia (N=317)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6446246/v1/5b5ae0e25337697e3a8b17d1.png"},{"id":80780582,"identity":"0780211f-cabf-4de7-b44d-38f0a1afe7b4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-17 04:31:48","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":25329,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eHypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N=317)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6446246/v1/2c5064c0949c7b69c9413b76.png"},{"id":97724060,"identity":"4978a5a3-87e6-446f-8c31-cce7a2e4a13a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 16:11:30","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1269530,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6446246/v1/dd26602e-f554-49a3-bd4c-d2174914f0fb.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Hypertension-related complications and associated factors among adult patients on follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Southeast Ethiopia","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eHypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and deaths worldwide especially in low- and middle-income countries(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). In accordance with most major guidelines, hypertension is diagnosed at systolic BP\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;90 mmHg (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobally, hypertension affects approximately 1.39\u0026nbsp;billion adults, with prevalence rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to urbanization, demographic shifts, and lifestyle changes (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). Between 1990 and 2019, the number of hypertensive individuals doubled from 650\u0026nbsp;million to 1.3\u0026nbsp;billion, with LMICs\u0026mdash;particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)\u0026mdash;bearing the highest burden due to low awareness, poor treatment adherence, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR9 CR10 CR11 CR12\" citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension is often asymptomatic, earning its reputation as a \"silent killer\"(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e).Undiagnosed or poorly managed HTN leads to severe complications, including stroke, heart failure, renal disease, and premature death(\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR15 CR16\" citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite advances in treatment, only less than half of hypertensive patients achieve blood pressure control, partly due to socioeconomic barriers and fragmented healthcare systems (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR19\" citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUntreated hypertension accelerates atherosclerosis, ventricular hypertrophy, and end-organ damage, contributing to majority of global heart disease deaths and stroke mortality (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn SSA, hypertension prevalence reaches 30\u0026ndash;38%, with projections suggesting 216.8\u0026nbsp;million cases by 2030(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e). Ethiopia mirrors this trend: recent meta-analyses report HTN prevalence of 24\u0026ndash;35%, with studies suggesting a hidden epidemic (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR25\" citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore than half of patients (56.2%) in Bedele General Hospital had uncontrolled hypertension, while Asella Referral Hospital documented rising incidence rates (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension accounts for the majority of cardiovascular deaths in Ethiopia (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e), yet research on its complications remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by assessing HTN-related complications and associated factors at Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital, providing critical evidence for policymakers and clinicians.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods and materials","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy area and period\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e This study was conducted at Arsi University Asella referral and teaching hospital, Arsi Zone, Oromia regional state, from October 29, 2024, to December 21, 2024. The Arsi Zone is one of the twenty-one zones found in the Oromia Regional State. The Arsi Zone has 25 woredas and four urban administrations. The Arsi Zone has one referral and teaching hospital (Arsi University referral and teaching hospital) and seven public hospitals. It was situated 163.5 kilometers from the capital city of Addis Ababa toward the southeastern part of Ethiopia. Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital provides preventive, curative, and diagnostic services to Asella town and the surroundings of approximately 3.5\u0026nbsp;million people and serves as a referral center. It was one of the early established public Institutions found in the heart of the town and was built on 4.3 hectares. The hospital has 297 beds. Specialized departments include the emergency room, OPD, internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, fistula unit, surgery, oncology, dermatology, radiology units, ophthalmology, psychiatry, and ICU. The internal medicine department has general medical wards (a female ward with 16 beds for general patients, 6 beds for TB patients, 2 beds for private patients and isolation, and a male ward with 18 beds for general patients, 6 beds for TB patients, and 2 beds for private patients and isolation). Additionally, it has a high dependency unit (HDU) that has 4 beds and an ICU that has 6 beds. Patients who are receiving follow-up for chronic diseases have diabetes, neurology, and general medical follow-up clinics. The hospital has cardiologists, neurologists, internists, and residents currently in the Department of Internal Medicine. According to the information obtained from the logbook, every day, a minimum of 15 hypertensive patients and a maximum of 35 hypertensive patients visit the follow-up clinic. Approximately 400 hypertensive patients visited the general medical follow-up clinic in the past month, and approximately 1250 patients visited it annually.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy design\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSample size and sampling procedures\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample size determination\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sample size was calculated via a single population proportion formula on the basis of the following assumptions: 95% confidence interval, a margin of error of 5%, and a 52.7% (p) prevalence of hypertension-related complications, as reported by a study performed at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). We used the correctional formula since our source population is less than 10,000. After adding 10% nonresponse, the final sample size of \u003cb\u003e322.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData collection tools and procedures\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData were collected via a structured questionnaire, which was developed after a review of the relevant literature and was translated into the Afan Oromo language and translated back to English to ensure consistency. It was pretested on five percent of the sample size before the actual survey. Several questions addressing the objectives of this study were adapted from various previous studies and modified accordingly. The questionnaire consists of different sections, including sociodemographic variables, behavioral and lifestyle factors, and clinical and investigative-related factors. Patients were recruited into the study during their clinic visits. Informed consent, as well as the subject\u0026rsquo;s identification and medical record number, was obtained after a careful explanation of the purpose and procedure of the study. Data regarding sociodemographic characteristics were obtained via face‒to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and data regarding clinical and laboratory characteristics were collected through a review of patients' charts. The data collectors included one trained internal medicine resident and two BSc nurses.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData processing and analysis procedure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe collected data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and analyzed via SPSS version 27.0 statistical packages. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to describe the number and percentage of the variables. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the unadjusted relationships between the predictors and dependent variables. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with hypertension-related complications. Those variables with a P value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0 were subsequently included. 25 were entered into multiple logistic regressions to identify independent predictors. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to determine the strength of the association. The model goodness of fit was tested by the Hosmer and Lemeshow technique, and the presence of multicollinearity was checked by estimating variance inflation factors. The strength of the association was measured with the AOR with 95% CI. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a probability value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical Consideration statement\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Ethical issues were addressed at all stages of the research process. Ethical clearance was obtained from Ethical Review Committee (ERC) of Arsi University College of Health Sciences (A/CHS/RC/137/2024). Detailed information about the purpose of the study was provided to participants in their local language. They were informed about why they were selected and were assured that their participation was entirely voluntary. The study did not involve any unfamiliar procedures and had no risks to the participants.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe participants were guaranteed that their access to healthcare services remained the same, regardless of their decision to participate. They were also notified that data collectors would extract relevant information from their medical records.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll the collected data were used for research purposes. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained by recording only necessary information and excluding personal identifiers (e.g., names). Finally, written informed consent was obtained for those who can read and write while oral consent obtained and signed by witnesses for illiterate participants prior to data collection.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSociodemographic characteristics of the participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, a total of 317 study participants participated, with a 98.14% response rate. The mean age of the clients was 58.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11.5 years. Approximately two-thirds (63.70%) of the participants were aged 45\u0026ndash;65 years. More than half (56.5%) of the study participants were male. Approximately 60% of the respondents (187, 59%) resided in rural areas. The study indicated that the great majority (81.7%) of the participants were married. Additionally, the findings revealed that approximately three-fourths of the participants (71.9%) had a formal education. Among the participants, approximately one-third (31.9%) were farmers. Among the total participants, approximately 60% (58.7%) had\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;5 families. Moreover, approximately 40% of the participants (40.7%) had 5000\u0026ndash;10,000 ETB monthly income (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSociodemographic characteristics of study participants, ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex of participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e138\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge of participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;30 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u0026ndash;44 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u0026ndash;60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;60 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e134\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e259\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWidowed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnmarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary school (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3 CR4 CR5 CR6 CR7\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary school (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR10 CR11\" citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollage and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFarmer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e101\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHousewife\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGovernment employee\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf employed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRetired\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMerchant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOthers (daily labor, student, etc.)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e187\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e130\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily size\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e186\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;=5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e178\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAverage monthly household income\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e˂ 5000 ETB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5000-10,000 ETB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e129\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e˃ 10,000 ETB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBMI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderweight (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;18.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal (18.5\u0026ndash;24.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverweight (25-29.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e180\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObese (\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;30)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunity based health insurance enrollment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e211\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eBehavioral and lifestyle characteristics of the participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings of this study indicate that a significant proportion of the study population had a history of alcohol consumption and smoking at some point in their lives. Among the total respondents, 128 (40.4%) had previously consumed alcohol but had since quit, whereas 27 (8.5%) were still actively drinking. Additionally, 26 (8.2%) reported being current smokers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study also revealed that more than one-third of the participants (39.7%) led a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, 34 (10.7%) participants regularly consumed foods high in salt despite being aware of their hypertension status (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBehavioral and lifestyle characteristics of the study participants, ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSmoking history\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNever smoked\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e244\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFormer smoker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eActive smoker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlcohol consumption\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNever drank alcohol\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e162\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFormer drinker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e128\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eActive drinker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh salt intake\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e283\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsuming foods high in saturated \u0026amp; trans fats\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e298\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFruit and vegetables serving days per week\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e188\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u0026ndash;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhysical activity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e191\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSedentary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eClinical characteristics of the participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings of this study indicate that approximately sixty percent (59.6%) of the patients had a family history of hypertension. Additionally, approximately three-fourths (76.3%) of the study participants presented with elevated blood pressure, and the majority of them (97.2%) were on antihypertensive medications. However, approximately 20 (6.3%) patients discontinued their medication without a doctor's approval. Among the total participants, 35 (11.0%) had diabetes mellitus, 8 (2.5%) had chronic kidney disease, and 97 (30.6%) had cardiac disease. Furthermore, more than one-third (38.8%) of the study participants had a history of previous hospitalization due to elevated blood pressure and its complications. The study findings revealed that a significant proportion of participants experienced various symptoms indicating hypertension complications. A history of decreased urine output and body swelling was reported by 27 patients (8.5%), whereas 35 (11%) experienced orthopnea. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) was noted in 31 patients (9.8%), and chest pain was reported by 8 (2.5%). Additionally, blurring of vision was prevalent among 108 (34.1%) patients, and 27 (8.5%) experienced a sudden onset of body weakness (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical characteristics of hypertension patients on follow up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily history of Hypertension status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e189\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e128\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlood pressure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrehypertension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStage I HTN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStage II HTN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuration of HTN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e163\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u0026ndash;10 yrs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10 yrs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnti-hypertension medication\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e308\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDrugs names\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnly Amlodipine\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnly Enalapril\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnly Hydrochlorothiazide\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e172\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnti-hypertension drug discontinuation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e287\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHospitalization History\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e194\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiabetes Mellitus\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e282\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious renal disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e309\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnown cardiac disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e290\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCardiac disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e220\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you have any of these symptoms?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrthopnea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParoxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBody swelling (Edema)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChest pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNone\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e222\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlurring \u0026amp; double vision\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePain in the calf of muscle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e299\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSudden onset of body weakness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e290\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInvestigation characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, nearly half (46.1%) of the study participants underwent kidney ultrasound, with the majority (126, 86.3%) showing normal findings. Additionally, approximately 24 (7.6%) of the participants had a brain CT scan, and 11 (3.5%) were diagnosed with stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic). Furthermore, 144 (45.4%) participants underwent ECHO or ECG, revealing ischemic heart disease (IHD) in 22 (6.9%) patients and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) in 67 (21.1%) patients. Finally, only 37 (15.5%) patients received an ophthalmic evaluation, and approximately 9(2.8%) patients had glaucoma among those who underwent evaluation (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInvestigation related characteristics of hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKidney ultrasound\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e146\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e171\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResult of ultrasound\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRenal parenchymal disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCKD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrain CT scan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e306\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCT scan results\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHemorrhage stroke\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIschemic stroke\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEcho or ECG\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e142\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e175\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEcho or ECG\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIHD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHHD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOphthalmic evaluation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e280\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOphthalmic evaluation results\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlaucoma\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCataract\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePrevalence of hypertension-related complications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, the overall incidence of hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients was 47.3% (95% CI: 41.8, 52.7). Among the total hypertension patients included in this study, a greater prevalence of hypertension-related complications was observed among patients aged older than 65 years than among younger (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;30 years) patients (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to this study, nearly half of the patients with hypertension-related complications (70 (46.7%)) had heart disease), whereas 26 (18%) were diagnosed with dyslipidemia (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFactors associated with hypertension-related complications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study employed bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors influencing the incidence of hypertension-related complications among patients. In the bivariate analysis, factors with a p value of less than 0.25 were considered, including sex, residence, physical activity, high salt intake, family history of hypertension, discontinuation of antihypertensive medication, and previous hospitalization history. However, in the multivariable logistic regression analysis, only a family history of hypertension, a sedentary lifestyle, and discontinuation of antihypertensive medication were significantly associated with hypertension-related complications (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants with a family history of hypertension had approximately two times greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than did those without a family history of hypertension (AOR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.29\u0026ndash;3.47). In addition, participants with a sedentary lifestyle had 1.9 times greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than those with a moderately active lifestyle did (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.16\u0026ndash;3.12). Moreover, participants who discontinued antihypertensive medications without consulting healthcare professionals had an approximately fivefold increased risk of developing hypertension-related complications compared with those who were adherent to their medications (AOR 4.96, 95% CI: 1.87\u0026ndash;13.12) (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBivariate logistic regression analysis of factors associated with hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension complications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOR (CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;95%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex of participant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105(62.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74(49.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62(37.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97(55.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.74(1.11\u0026ndash;2.72)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipant residence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79(47.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(34.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88(52.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99(66.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.74(1.10\u0026ndash;2.74)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.017\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily size\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80(47.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(34.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;=5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87(52.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99(66.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.78(1.13\u0026ndash;2.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.012\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh salt intake\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(13.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12(8.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.745(0.83\u0026ndash;3.66)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.141\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e145(86.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e138(92.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhysical activity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSedentary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(30.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75(50.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.28(1.44\u0026ndash;3.60)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116(69.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75(50.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily history of hypertension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86(51.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103(68.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.06(1.30\u0026ndash;3.27)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81(48.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47(31.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHospitalization history\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(34.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65(43.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.44(0.91\u0026ndash;2.26)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e109(65.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85(56.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiscontinuation of anti-hypertensive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6(3.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24(16.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.11(2.03\u0026ndash;12.88)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e161(96.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126(84.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultivariable logistic regression analysis of factors associated with hypertension-related complications among hypertension patients on follow-up at ARTH, South-East Ethiopia, 2025 (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;317)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension-related complications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAOR (CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;95%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex of participant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105(62.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74(49.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62(37.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97(55.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.46(0.89\u0026ndash;2.37)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipant residence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79(47.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(34.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88(52.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99(66.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.59(0.97\u0026ndash;2.61)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.066\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily size\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80(47.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(34.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87(52.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99(66.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.52(0.92\u0026ndash;2.51)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh salt intake\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(13.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12(8.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.89(0.85\u0026ndash;4.23)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.118\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e145(86.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e138(92.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhysical activity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSedentary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(30.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75(50.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.90(1.16\u0026ndash;3.12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116(69.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75(50.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily history of hypertension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86(51.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103(68.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.11(1.29\u0026ndash;3.47)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81(48.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47(31.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHospitalization history\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(34.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65(43.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.33(0.81\u0026ndash;2.20)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.258\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e109(65.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85(56.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiscontinuation of anti-hypertensive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6(3.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24(16.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.96(1.87\u0026ndash;13.21)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e161(96.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126(84.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study assessed hypertension-related complications and associated factors among patients who attended the regular medical follow-up clinic at Asella Teaching and Reporting Hospital. In this study, the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 47.3%. This finding is almost comparable with that of a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital, which reported that the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 52.7% (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, the findings of this study are lower than those of a study conducted at the Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir, which reported a higher prevalence of 60% (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). The variation in prevalence rates across these studies may be attributed to differences in study populations, study periods, healthcare access, and regional risk factors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, this study highlights several common complications associated with hypertension, including heart disease, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, eye problems, and stroke. Among these, heart disease is the most prevalent complication, followed by dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus. These findings align with previous research conducted at Christian University of Indonesia Hospital, which also identified heart disease as the most frequent complication observed in hypertensive patients (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study's findings differ from those of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital in terms of the order of the most prevalent complications. While this study revealed heart disease to be the most prevalent complication, followed by dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, the University of Gondar study reported that diabetes mellitus was the most common complication, followed by dyslipidemia, kidney disease, and stroke. However, dyslipidemia was the second most prevalent complication in both studies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, these findings differ from those of another previous study conducted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, which reported that patients with cerebrovascular disease (stroke) were the most prevalent complication (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study also identified factors associated with hypertension-related complications, such as a family history of hypertension, a sedentary lifestyle, and the discontinuation of antihypertensive medication without consulting healthcare professionals. According to the findings of this study, participants with a family history of hypertension were more likely to have hypertension-related complications. This aligns with the findings of a study from the University of Gondar, which revealed that participants who had a family history of hypertension were more likely to develop complications than those who had no family history of hypertension (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, this finding is supported by a previous study conducted at the Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). The possible reason for this finding could be that a family history of hypertension significantly increases the risk of developing hypertension-related complications due to a genetic predisposition. Additionally, individuals whose parents are hypertensive are more likely to develop high blood pressure at an earlier age, leading to prolonged exposure to hypertension-related complications. Moreover, shared lifestyle factors within families, such as high-sodium diets, obesity, and physical inactivity, may further contribute to the risk.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoreover, the findings of this study indicated that a sedentary lifestyle was associated with a greater risk of hypertension-related complications. This finding is consistent with a previous study conducted at the University of Gondar and Government Medical College Anantnag, Kashmir, which indicated that physical inactivity contributes to the development and progression of hypertension-related health issues(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). This might be because a sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity, insulin resistance, and poor cardiovascular health, all of which increase the likelihood of hypertension-related complications. However, regular physical activity helps regulate blood pressure by improving heart function, reducing arterial stiffness, and maintaining healthy body weight.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, participants who discontinued anti-hypertension medications without consulting a doctor had greater odds of developing hypertension-related complications than did those who adhered to their medications. This finding is supported by a study carried out at Seoul National University Hospital in the Republic of Korea, which revealed that discontinuing antihypertensive medication without consulting a doctor can lead to a greater risk of hypertension-related complications (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e). This could be because adherence to antihypertensive medication is crucial for preventing complications such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney damage. Patients who discontinue their medication often experience uncontrolled blood pressure, which can accelerate organ damage.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study revealed a high burden of hypertension related complications, affecting nearly one out of every two patients. Key contributing factors included family history of hypertension, sedentary life style, and non-adherence to antihypertensive medications.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, such as patient education on treatment adherence, promotion of physical activity, and routine screening for high-risk individuals to mitigate complications in this population.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Acronyms and Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eAOR-\u003c/b\u003eAdjusted Odd Ratio; \u003cb\u003eATRH-\u003c/b\u003eAsella Teaching and referral hospital; \u003cb\u003eBP-\u003c/b\u003eBlood Pressure; \u003cb\u003eCBHI-\u003c/b\u003eCommunity-Based Health Insurance; \u003cb\u003eCHD-\u003c/b\u003eCoronary Heart Disease; \u003cb\u003eCI-\u003c/b\u003eConfidence Interval; \u003cb\u003eCKD-\u003c/b\u003eChronic Kidney Disease; \u003cb\u003eCOR-\u003c/b\u003eCrude Odd Ratio; \u003cb\u003eCT\u003c/b\u003e-Computed Tomography; \u003cb\u003eCVA-\u003c/b\u003eCerebrovascular Accident; \u003cb\u003eDM-\u003c/b\u003eDiabetes Mellitus; \u003cb\u003eECG-\u003c/b\u003eElectrocardiography; \u003cb\u003eECHO-\u003c/b\u003eEchocardiography; \u003cb\u003eEDHS\u003c/b\u003e-Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey; \u003cb\u003eERC\u003c/b\u003e-Ethical Review Committee; \u003cb\u003eETB\u003c/b\u003e-Ethiopian Birr; \u003cb\u003eFMoH\u003c/b\u003e-Federal Ministry of Health; \u003cb\u003eHDU\u003c/b\u003e-High Dependency Unit; \u003cb\u003eHHD\u003c/b\u003e-Hypertensive Heart Disease; \u003cb\u003eHICs-\u003c/b\u003eHigh-Income Countries; \u003cb\u003eHTN\u003c/b\u003e-Hypertension; \u003cb\u003eICU-\u003c/b\u003eIntensive Care Unit; \u003cb\u003eIHD\u003c/b\u003e-Ischemic Heart Disease; \u003cb\u003eLICs\u003c/b\u003e-Low-Income Countries; \u003cb\u003eLMICs-\u003c/b\u003eLow and middle income Countries; \u003cb\u003emmHg-\u003c/b\u003eMillimeter of Mercury; \u003cb\u003eNCD-\u003c/b\u003eNon-communicable Disease; \u003cb\u003eOPD\u003c/b\u003e-Out Patient Department; \u003cb\u003ePAD-\u003c/b\u003ePeripheral Arterial Disease; \u003cb\u003eSH-\u003c/b\u003eSystolic Hypertension; \u003cb\u003eSPSS-\u003c/b\u003eStatistical Package for Social Sciences; \u003cb\u003eSSA-\u003c/b\u003eSub-Saharan Africa; \u003cb\u003eTB\u003c/b\u003e-Tuberculosis; \u003cb\u003eTOD\u003c/b\u003e-Target Organ Damage; \u003cb\u003eWHO-\u003c/b\u003eWorld Health Organization\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee (ERC) of Arsi University College of Health Sciences (A/CHS/RC/137/2024). Participants received detailed information about the study\u0026rsquo;s purpose in their local language, including the rationale for their selection and assurance of voluntary participation. The study involved no unfamiliar procedures or risks to participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants were guaranteed that their access to healthcare services would not be affected by their decision to participate. They were also informed that data collectors would review their medical records for relevant information. All collected data were used solely for research purposes, with confidentiality and anonymity maintained by excluding personal identifiers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten informed consent was obtained from literate participants, while oral consent (witnessed and documented) was secured for illiterate participants prior to data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDatasets used during the current study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable requests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was funded by Arsi University College of health sciences. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSK\u003c/strong\u003e contributed to the study conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript drafting.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTA\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAE\u003c/strong\u003e participated in the study conception, design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and manuscript writing. All authors critically reviewed, edited, and approved the final manuscript for submission.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would like to thank Arsi University College of Health Sciences for the financial support that made this study possible. Our gratitude also extends to Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital for facilitating access to the data required for this research. We deeply appreciate the time and cooperation of all study participants, as well as the dedication of the data collectors and supervisors who contributed to this work.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAl-Makki A, DiPette D, Whelton PK, Murad MH, Mustafa RA, Acharya S, et al. Hypertension pharmacological treatment in adults: a World Health Organization guideline executive summary. Hypertension. 2022;79(1):293\u0026ndash;301.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnger T, Borghi C, Charchar F, Khan NA, Poulter NR, Prabhakaran D, et al. 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines. Hypertension. 2020;75(6):1334\u0026ndash;57.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChobanian AV, Roccella EJ. The JNC 7 hypertension guidelines. JAMA. 2003;290(10):1312.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhelton PK, Carey RM, Mancia G, Kreutz R, Bundy JD, Williams B. Harmonization of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension blood pressure/hypertension guidelines: comparisons, reflections, and recommendations. Eur Heart J. 2022;43(35):3302\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMills KT, Stefanescu A, He J. The global epidemiology of hypertension. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2020;16(4):223\u0026ndash;37.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCureau FV, Fuchs FD, Fuchs SCPC, Moreira LB, Schaan BDA, Cisneros JZ et al. Sep. Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants. 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Pharm Pract (Granada). 2018;16(2).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMasenga SK, Kirabo A. Hypertensive heart disease: risk factors, complications and mechanisms. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1205475.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdeloye D, Basquill C. Estimating the prevalence and awareness rates of hypertension in Africa: a systematic analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(8):e104300.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLee EKP, Poon P, Yip BHK, Bo Y, Zhu MT, Yu CP, et al. Global Burden, Regional Differences, Trends, and Health Consequences of Medication Nonadherence for Hypertension During 2010 to 2020: A Meta-Analysis Involving 27 Million Patients. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(17):e026582.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAsresahegn H, Tadesse F, Beyene E. Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adults in Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes. 2017;10(1):629.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLegese N, Tadiwos Y. Epidemiology of hypertension in Ethiopia: a systematic review. Integr blood Press control. 2020:135\u0026ndash;43.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTesfa E, Demeke D. Prevalence of and risk factors for hypertension in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Sci Rep. 2021;4(3):e372.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBonsa F, Gudina EK, Hajito KW. Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in Bedele Town, Southwest Ethiopia. Ethiop J health Sci. 2014;24(1):21\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWake AD, Tuji TS, Sime AT, Mekonnin MT, Taji TM, Hussein AA. Nonadherence to Self-Care Practices, Antihypertensive Medications, and Associated Factors among Hypertensive Patients in a Follow-up Clinic at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Hypertens. 2021;2021:7359318.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF HYPERTENSION COMPLICATIONS AMONG. HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS: A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuling FR, Agustian Z, Enggar D. 18 Prevalence of hypertension and its complication in emergency room Christian University of Indonesia Hospital in 2017. J Hypertens. 2018;36:e5.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-cardiovascular-disorders","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"bcar","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Cardiovascular Disorders](http://bmccardiovascdisord.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/bcar/default.aspx","title":"BMC Cardiovascular Disorders","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Hypertension, Complications, Treatment adherence, Asella, Ethiopia","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6446246/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6446246/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension is a major public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite efforts to mitigate this problem, comprehensive studies on the magnitude of hypertension-related complications are lacking. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension-related complications and associated factors among hypertensive patients who were on follow up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospitals in Southeast Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethod\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital from October 29, 2024, to December 21, 2024. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and patient chart reviews. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with complications.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 317 study participants were involved in this study. The mean age of the participants was 58.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11.5 years. In this study, the prevalence of hypertension-related complications was 47.3\u003cb\u003e%\u003c/b\u003e (95% CI: 41.8, 52.7). The results of the multivariable logistic analysis revealed that a family history of hypertension (AOR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3\u0026ndash;3.5), a sedentary lifestyle (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.16\u0026ndash;3.12), and the discontinuation of antihypertensive medications (AOR 4.96, 95% CI: 1.87\u0026ndash;13.12) were significantly associated with hypertension-related complications.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study revealed a high burden of hypertension related complications, affecting nearly one out of every two patients. Key contributing factors included family history of hypertension, sedentary life style, and non-adherence to antihypertensive medications.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Hypertension-related complications and associated factors among adult patients on follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Southeast Ethiopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-17 04:31:43","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6446246/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-04-22T08:38:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-04-19T11:13:08+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-04-19T11:10:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Cardiovascular Disorders","date":"2025-04-14T12:51:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-cardiovascular-disorders","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"bcar","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Cardiovascular Disorders](http://bmccardiovascdisord.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/bcar/default.aspx","title":"BMC Cardiovascular Disorders","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8b3c4a48-d09f-485b-bd1e-de9fb79ad280","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-08T16:06:30+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6446246","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-025-05415-y","journal":{"identity":"bmc-cardiovascular-disorders","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Cardiovascular Disorders"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-07 15:58:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 7th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-17 04:31:43","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12872-025-05415-y","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-025-05415-y","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6446246","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6446246","identity":"rs-6446246","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}