Prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension amongst dental patients in the University College Hospital, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria

Introduction. Hypertension is one of the medical
conditions that are of great importance in the
management of dental patients. It may present as an
emergency during dental treatment or necessitate
a change in patient’s management. Aim of the
study. To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed
hypertension and the level of control in diagnosed
hypertensive patients presenting at a dental outpatient
clinic in Nigeria. Material and methods. A crosssectional
survey of patients presenting at the Dental
Outpatient Clinic of a Nigerian tertiary hospital was
undertaken. Consenting patients above 15 years of
age had their blood pressure assessed with the aid of a
digital sphygmomanometer. The relationship between
blood pressure and body mass index, family history
of hypertension as well as socioeconomic status were
assessed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results. A total of 552 subjects were recruited, with 107
(19.4%) previously on antihypertensive drugs but only
14 (13.0%) on an antihypertensive had a normal blood
pressure. Forty-one (9.2%) subjects were hypertensive
but were not aware of it. There was a statistically
significant relationship between positive family
history of high blood pressure and high diastolic blood
pressure. There was also a statistically significant relationship between blood pressure and age (p< 0.05).
Conclusion. The study demonstrated that hypertensive
patients constitute an important proportion of dental
patients. Thus, the dental profession has a unique role
in the early detection of hypertension. Also patients’
opinion of their blood pressure may be insufficient for
optimal dental management.