TITLE:
Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Prehypertensive Subjects in Kisangani (DR Congo): An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study Using the ISH/WHO Score
AUTHORS:
Ossinga Bassandja, Kayembe Tshilumba, Batina Agasa
KEYWORDS:
Assessment, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Prehypertension, Adult, Kisangani
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.15 No.4,
April
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Prehypertension (PHTN) is an emerging cardiovascular risk factor in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the overall cardiovascular risk in prehypertensive subjects in the city of Kisangani. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 344 prehypertensive adults recruited by stratified random sampling. The 10-year cardiovascular risk was assessed using the ISH/WHO score. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to identify factors associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. Results: The prevalence of high cardiovascular risk (≥20%) was 32.7%. Older age (AOR = 4.27; CI 95%: 2.59 - 7.06; p Conclusion: A significant proportion of prehypertensives in Kisangani have a high cardiovascular risk, which underlines the need of adding global risk assessment into the management of prehypertensives and to develop targeted prevention strategies.