Abstract

The study determined the prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertension in Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) patients on HAART attending Chai clinic at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital. The Specific objectives were to find out the prevalence of hypertension in HIV patients on HAART attending CHAI clinic and to assess the risk factors to hypertension in HIV patients on HAART attending CHAI clinic at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital. This was a cross sectional study based on prospectively collected data from participants enrolled in CHAI clinic KIU-TH. This recruited HIV-infected individuals receiving care. The study showed that the prevalence hypertension in HIV patients on HAART attending CHAI clinic in KIU-TH 8(14%). From the study, the most affected HIV-Hypertensive patients (75%) were aged between 40 to 60 years. The most risk factors of hypertension in HIV patients were; 4(50% had a positive family history of having hypertension in their homes, 1 (12.5%) history of obesity, 2(25%) had a positive history of diabetes and 1(12.5%) said they were not doing physical exercises. The study found out that some were predispose due to their social life style that is; of the participants were smokers 3(43%), 2(25%) was neither taking alcohol nor smoking, 1(12.5%) had history of taking alcohol and smoking while 2(25%) said they were smokers only. Health workers should encourage HIV patients on HAART to do frequent physical exercises to reduce hypertension due to obesity, health workers should encourage HIV patients on HAART to reduce / stop smoking to reduce risks of hypertension, health workers should health educate HIV patients on HAART about diet and its risks to hypertension, health workers should encourage HIV patients to reduce/ stop alcohol to reduce risk of atherosclerosis which can reduce hypertension