Resistant hypertension in Yaounde

Sixty six consecutive patients with resistant hypertension were studied over a period of 12 months. During that same period 565 patients were seen in all for hypertension given an average prevalence of 11.7% of resistant hypertension. Men were more frequently affected, however mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were higher in women. Past history of poor compliance, overweight, renal impairment and cardiac abnormalities were important predictors of poor response to therapy. Resistance to therapy was not related to the class or the type of medication taken. Side effects were more numerous in the resistant group. Biochemically, apart from abnormal renal function tests, the other baseline tests were similar in both groups of resistant and non resistant hypertensives.