Gender-based Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Young Hypertensives in a Tertiary Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Gender variation exists in the clustering of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), lipid abnormalities, obesity, cigarette smoking, and significant alcohol use are risk factors that typically influence one another and predispose to cardiovascular disease (CVD). AIM: This study assessed gender-based variation in the prevalence of CV risk factors among young individuals with HTN. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 157 participants aged between 18 and 45 years with systemic HTN. Participants were recruited consecutively and categorized by gender. Sociodemographic and clinical information were collected using a pro forma. Lipoprotein (a), lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, uric acid, and creatinine were obtained from a fasting venous blood sample. Data were analyzed using STATA 17. RESULTS: The median age of the study participants was 30 years (24-37). Females accounted for 48% of the participants. A higher prevalence rate of significant alcohol use (34.2% vs 5.3%, P < 0.001), and cigarette smoking (14.6% vs 1.3%, P < 0.001) was found in males. A higher prevalence of LP (a) (2.2% vs 13.3%, P = 0.036) was found in the females. Moderate and severe obesity were more common among females ( P = 0.036). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of hyperuricemia, DM, dyslipidemia, reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate, and blood pressure control rate between the male and female participants. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated some gender-based differences in the prevalence of some CV risk factors among young hypertensives. These findings are valuable for developing gender-specific strategies to reduce CV risk in this population.