Prevalence of hypertension and its association with obesity and socio-demographic factors among adults attending a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Authors

  • M. Mamun Khan Department of Community Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Amit Kumar Das Department of Community Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Jannat Mahozabeen Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Green Life Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Sharmin Zaman Khan Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Green Life Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Farhana Karim Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Green Life Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Partha Sarathi Podder Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Green Life Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20262853

Keywords:

Adults, Bangladesh, Body mass index, Cross-sectional study, Hypertension, Obesity

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a major non-communicable disease and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Obesity is a well-established modifiable risk factor for hypertension, yet hospital-based evidence from Bangladesh remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its association with obesity and socio-demographic factors among adults attending a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 adults attending a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, along with anthropometric measurements and blood pressure assessment. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were performed and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 27.4%. A significant association was observed between BMI and hypertension (p=0.004). Participants aged >45 years had higher odds of hypertension (AOR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.20–3.50). Obesity was a strong independent predictor of hypertension (AOR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.50–4.50). Physical inactivity was also significantly associated with hypertension (AOR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.00–2.50). No significant association was found with gender, residence or religion.

Conclusions: Hypertension is highly prevalent among adults attending tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh and is significantly associated with obesity, older age and physical inactivity. Early screening and lifestyle modification strategies are essential to reduce the burden of hypertension.

 

References

Mills KT, Stefanescu A, He J. The global epidemiology of hypertension. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2020;16(4):223–37.

Schutte AE, Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy N, Mohan S, Prabhakaran D. Hypertension in low- and middle-income countries. Circ Res. 2021;128(7):808–26.

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). 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. Lancet. 2021;398(10304):957–80.

Ali N, Ahmed S, Mahmood S, Trisha AD, Mahmud F. The prevalence and factors associated with obesity and hypertension in university academic staff: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):7309.

Chowdhury MAB, Uddin MJ, Haque MR, Ibrahimou B. Hypertension among adults in Bangladesh: evidence from a national cross-sectional survey. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2016;16(1):22.

El Meouchy P, Wahoud M, Allam S, Chedid R, Karam W, Karam S. Hypertension related to obesity: Pathogenesis, characteristics and factors for control. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(20):12305.

Usui I. Hypertension and insulin resistance in adipose tissue. Hypertens Res. 2023;46(6):1478–81.

Chen L, Tu J J, Zhou N, Weng J-Y, Bao Z-Y, Wu L-D. Association of different obesity patterns with hypertension in US male adults: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):10551.

Shariq OA, McKenzie TJ. Obesity-related hypertension: a review of pathophysiology, management and the role of metabolic surgery. Gland Surg. 2020;9(1):80–93.

Wang J, Yang Q-Y, Chai D-J, Su Y, Jin Q-Z, Wang J-H. The relationship between obesity associated weight-adjusted waist index and the prevalence of hypertension in US adults aged ≥60 years: a brief report. Front Public Heal. 2023;11:1210669.

Zhang HZ, Wang YH, Ge YL, Wang SY, Sun JY, Chen LL, et al. Obesity, malnutrition and the prevalence and outcome of hypertension: evidence from the national health and nutrition examination survey. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1043491.

Khanam M, Hasan E, Sarker AR. Prevalence and factors of hypertension among Bangladeshi adults. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2021;28(4):393–403.

World Health Organization. Body mass index (BMI). Geneva: World Health Organization. 2026.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vital signs: prevalence, treatment and control of hypertension--United States, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011;60(4):103–8.

Ren H, Guo Y, Wang D, Kang X, Yuan G. Association of normal-weight central obesity with hypertension: a cross-sectional study from the China health and nutrition survey. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2023;23(1):120.

Tu J, Chen H, Zeng Q, Chen L, Guo Y, Chen K. Trends in obesity prevalence among adults with hypertension in the United States, 2001 to 2023. Hypertension. 2025;82(3):498–508.

Qureshi S, Khan TM, Salim H, Uddin MS, Imran Z, Ali D, et al. Trends and disparities in hypertension-related mortality among adults with obesity in the United States from 2000-2023. Am J Med Sci. 2025;370(5):420–7.

Cunha CLP da. Obesity-induced hypertension. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2023;120(7):391.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-24

How to Cite

Khan, M. M., Das, A. K., Mahozabeen, J., Khan, S. Z., Karim, F., & Podder, P. S. (2026). Prevalence of hypertension and its association with obesity and socio-demographic factors among adults attending a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 15(5), 844–848. https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20262853

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles