Abstract:

Background: Hypertension is a known risk factor for the development of renal dysfunction. With the increasing burden of hypertension in our setting especially due to life style modifications, we expect a rise in the development of renal dysfunction. Currently very little is known about the prevalence, pattern and predictors of renal dysfunction among hypertensive patients in our setting.

Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted at the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) outpatient medical clinic from February 2013 to April 2013. The primary end point was the case of renal dysfunction defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <90ml/min/1.73m2 (calculated using the Cockroft-Gault equation) and/or the presence of proteinuria (microscopic and /or macroscopic).

Results: The population consisted of slightly more females than males. The majority of the population come from urban areas. The prevalence of renal dysfunction was found to be 53.9%. Older age, female gender, obesity, systolic blood pressure and type of antihypertensive medications were found to be strong predictors for renal dysfunction.

Conclusion and Recommendation: About half of the patients attending the Bugando Medical Centre outpatient medical clinic had renal dysfunction (53.9%). This is slightly higher than what was found in studies which were done previously. We recommend strict blood pressure control, routine measurement of urine for microalbuminuria and the use of angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin II converting enzyme inhibitors for hypertensive patients with protein in their urine.