Prevalence and risk factors of high blood pressure among persons assessed for TB at three health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia. (dataset)

This study set out to describe the prevalence of a high blood pressure (HBP) and identify factors associated with high BP among persons with presumed and diagnosed TB patients in a high TB burden setting. We collected anthropometrics and vital signs measured which included blood pressure (BP), temperature, pulse rate, weight, and height from enrolled participants aged at least 18years at 3 primary healthcare facilities. Participants all had at least one baseline BP reading done at study enrolment with repeat BP measurements done after 15 to 30 minutes for participants who had a high initial reading and the lower of the two was recorded. We defined a high BP reading as any systolic ≥ 140mmHg and/or diastolic ≥ 90mmHg. In addition to a detailed clinical history and physical examination, we also collected sociodemographic characteristics at baseline which included age, sex, HIV status, prior TB, prior Covid-19, tobacco use, and alcohol use. In the analysis we conducted descriptive statistics to summarise participant demographic and clinical characteristics and logistical regression analysis to identify factors associated with HBP.We found that over 1 in 4 persons assessed for TB had HBP on initial reading. Higher BMI, alcohol use and older age were associated with increased HBP prevalence. This finding suggests that there is a missed opportunity to identify and manage high BP among health facilities attendees being screened for tuberculosis and therefore supports the need to strengthen integration of active NCD screening within TB services for early and enhanced patient care.