Prevalence of arterial hypertension and associated factors in the elderly

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of systemic hypertension among the elderly and verify the sociodemographic profile, risk factors and complications of elderly individuals identified with hypertension. Methods: Quantitative descriptive study, performed with 220 medical records of elderly patients in a Health Center in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, between 2011 and 2012. By applying a structured questionnaire containing sociodemographic and clinical variables, data was collected from the medical records and Hiperdia files. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and the chi-square test was applied. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the elderly was 51.4% (n=113; IC95%). Of these, 63.7% (n=72) were female; 64.6% (n=73) were sedentary; 52.2% (n=59) were overweight; 53.1% (n=60) had abdominal obesity; 29.2% (n=33) had diabetes; 17.7% (n=20) had comorbidities and complications; 79.6% (n=90) were found with increased blood pressure in the first consultation, and 66.6% (n=60), in the last one. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high among the elderly assessed, being higher in some subgroups: women, low level of education, and non-white. Among the most common risk factors, the sedentary lifestyle, overweight, and abdominal obesity stand out.