2İzmir Suat Seren Göğüs Hastanesi, İZMİR Background: Hypertension is a social health problem prevalence of which increases with ageing. It is a serious disease that must not be underestimated, causing mortal complications like ischemic hearth diseases, cerebrovascular diseases etc. or organ handicaps. This study aimed to determine, with cross sectional analytic method, the prevalence of hypertension, risk factors and their interrelationships in the population above 64 years old in Manisa.
Materials and Methods: Arterial blood pressures of 340 participants who are registered in the region systematic sampling method were measured and a questionnaire interrogating demographic features and was conducted by means of face-to-face interviews.
Results: According to questionnaire results, the hypertension prevalence, which is actually 49.7 %, was found to be 61.8 % in all individuals above 65 years old. Out of elderly people 26.2% were normotensive, 27.1% were systolic hypertension, 8.6% were diastolic hypertension, 26.2% were systolo-diastolic hypertension. Hypertensive individuals have been compared in respect of age, gender, educational level, marital status was not statistically different between the groups. . Body Mass Index made increase on risk score.
Conclusion: Consequently, the hypertension prevalence among elderly in the study region was high. This result draws the attention once again to the fact that the screening for hypertension among the elderly people and adequate and equal nutrition is necessary.
Keywords : Elderly, Hypertension, Screening, Body Mass Index