Awareness of cardiovascular, renal, and cerebrovascular complications of uncontrolled hypertension among hypertensive patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Abbottabad.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the level of awareness and its predictors in hypertensive patients in a tertiary health-care facility. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Abbottabad Medical Complex, Abbottabad. Period: 15 December 2025 to 15 March 2026. Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 126 hypertensive patients who presented to the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Data was collected through a designed, interviewer-based questionnaire. The operationalization of awareness was the ability to identify all three complications (cardiovascular, renal, and cerebrovascular) of uncontrolled hypertension. Chi-square and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The overall awareness of all three major complications was 53.2% (67/126). The highest awareness was regarding cardiovascular complications (61.9%), followed by renal (55.6%) and cerebrovascular (54%) complications. A statistically significant correlation between the level of education and awareness was observed, in which the level of awareness progressed from illiterate patients (28.6%) to patients with higher education (78.0%). There were no significant correlations with age, sex, and years of hypertension (p > 0.05), indicating that these variables were not significant predictors of awareness. Conclusion: Patients in Abbottabad are still not adequately aware of the major complications of uncontrolled hypertension. The only significant predictor of awareness was education level. Specific educational interventions, particularly those aimed at individuals with lower educational levels, are immediately justified in order to improve awareness and prevent long-term complications.Top of FormBottom of Form