Abstract:
Left ventricular hypertrophy is often a complication of hypertension and an
independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. In Ethiopia, there is scarcity of data on
prevalence and associated factors of left ventricular hypertrophy among hypertensive adults.
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of left ventricular
hypertrophy among adult patients with hypertension attending treatment at two public hospitals
in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia from December 20, 2021 to December 20, 2023.
Method: Hospital based cross sectional study was conducted on 264 hypertensive patients from
December 20, 2021 to December 20, 2023. A pretested structured questionnaire and check list
were used to collect data from participants and their clinical records. The data was collected by
trained residents, and interns. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29. Left ventricular mass
was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Associations between categorical variables
were assessed using chi-square test and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Logistic
regression model was done to identify risks factors of LVH. P values of < 0.05 were considered
as statistically significant.
Results: Two hundred sixty four (264) hypertensive adults were included in the study. The
mean age was 58.4, and majority 54.5% were males. The overall prevalence of
echocardiographically determined LVH was 30.7%. Majority of the patients had mild LVH at
51%. Age>60 years (AOR= 5.981, CI=1.832-19.522, P=0.003), diabetes (AOR=10.430,
CI=2.904-37.454P=<0.001), poor adherence to medications (AOR=4.132CI=1.208-14.141,
P=0.024), uncontrolled systolic BP (AOR=8.340, CI=2.280-30.512, P=0.001) and duration of
hypertension (AOR=8.766, CI=2.101-36.584, P=0.003) were independent predictor of LVH.
Conclusions: The echocardiographic prevalence of LVH was 30.7% in the study population.
