Predictors of hypertension among apparently healthy adult filipinos in the lifecare philippine cohort study

Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor in the Philippines being significantly correlated with cardiovascular events when it remains uncontrolled. Early identification of these patients at risk of developing hypertension will prevent early cardiovascular complications. The main objective of this study is to determine the predictors for the development of hypertension among the Philippine LIFECARE participants. This prospective community-based study that included non-hypertensive participants from the LIFECARE Philippine cohort at baseline and was followed up after 5 years. A total of 2,089 non-hypertensive participants were included which comprised of 59% women with an average age of 35 years. Incidence rate of hypertension after 5 year was at 15%. After multiple regression analysis, variables that were correlated with development of hypertension after 5 years were: increasing age, male sex, family history of hypertension, abdominal obesity by waist circumference and pre-hypertension blood pressure levels.