Hypertension and undiagnosed hypertension among Bangladeshi adults: Identifying prevalence and associated factors using a nationwide survey

Background: Although undiagnosed hypertension (HTN) is a serious concern worldwide, it is less of an importance in Bangladesh, where there is a dearth of research on the subject. So, we aimed to identify the prevalence and associated factors for diagnosed and undiagnosed HTN. Methods: We analyzed the recent 2017-2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. We included 11,981 participants aged 18 years and above for the analysis. The prevalence rates of both diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension were computed for all individuals and subgroups. The influence of socio-demographic, household, and community-related variables on HTN and undiagnosed HTN was investigated using multinomial regression analysis. Results: The study finds 1,464 (12.2%) of the 11,981 respondents [6,815 females [56.9 %]; mean age 39.4 years] had diagnosed HTN, whereas 1 898 (15.8%) had undiagnosed HTN. The HTN and undiagnosed HTN were significantly prevalent in the elderly, type 2 diabetic (T2DM), and overweight and obese individuals. In terms of residential regions, people from coastal region had a significantly higher prevalence of both HTN (RRR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.17-1.62) and undiagnosed HTN (RRR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.17-1.56) compared to those from the central region of Bangladesh. Conclusions: The high prevalence of undetected hypertension in Bangladesh suggests that screening procedures for the current chronic illness may be inadequate in routine clinical practice. All populations should have access to hypertension screening, but it is especially crucial for the elderly, those with diabetes, those who are overweight or obese, and those from coastal and northern regions of Bangladesh.