Characteristics of high blood pressure among postpartum hausa women in a specialist hospital in Nigeria

Hypertension is a major public health problem in black populations worldwide.1,2 Although hypertension is usually asymptomatic, it may be associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk for adverse outcomes including development of coronary heart disease3. Hypertension treatment has been clearly shown to reduce this risk.3,4 A study conducted in Nigeria revealed 60% increase in the risk of death by every 20mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and that 7% reduction in overall mortality would have been observed in the absence of hypertension.5