DYSLIPIDAEMIA IN HYPERTENSION - ARE WE TREATING ENOUGH?

INTRODUCTION: The coexistence of dyslipidaemia and hypertension results in enhanced atherosclerosis. Adequate treatment of dyslipidaemia in hypertensive patients is thus essential for reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dyslipidaemia among hypertensives and evaluate lipid treatment status of patients with dyslipidaemia in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional comparative study was done between May, 2015 and June, 2016 in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. The serum lipid levels of adult patients with hypertension and controls without hypertension were determined. Lipid treatment status of patients with dyslipidaemia were also reviewed. Serum lipid levels were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: The study included 200 adult hypertensive patients and 100 control participants. The mean age (SD) was 56.3 (6.9) years and 54.9 (8.3) years with range 41-68 and 44-69 years for patients and controls respectively. Eighty-eight (44.0%) hypertensive patients and 23(23.5%) of the control group were found to have dyslipidaemia. Out of the 60(68.2%) patients with elevated LDL-C, 32(53.3%) had LDL-C 4.1mmol/L, out of which only 8(25%) were on antilipid medication. CONCLUSION: Over one-third of studied hypertensive patients had dyslipidaemia and only a quarter of those who needed antilipids were on the medication. Greater awareness is needed both in the medical and patient communities in order to effectively manage dyslipidaemic hypertension, and hence aid in ameliorating the burden of cardiovascular diseases.