Investigator(s)
| Submitter |
Tshering Samdrup Ministry of Health Tshering Samdrup 
|
| Principal Investigator |
Tshering Samdrup Ministry of Health Tshering Samdrup
|
Title(s) and abstract
| Scientific title | Burden of Hypertension, Associated Factors, and the Care Cascade Among Adults Aged 15– 69 Years in Bhutan: Findings from the National Health Survey 2023 |
| Public title | Burden of Hypertension, Associated Factors, and the Care Cascade Among Adults Aged 15– 69 Years in Bhutan: Findings from the National Health Survey 2023 |
| Background | Hypertension affects approximately 1.4 billion adults globally and remains the single leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and premature mortality, surpassing tobacco and air pollution. The number of adults with hypertension doubled from 648 million in 1990 to 1.28 billion in 2019, with the greatest increase occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nearly half of all people with hypertension are unaware of their condition, underscoring the silent yet devastating nature of this disease. Several modifiable risk factors drive hypertension, including obesity, physical inactivity, high dietary sodium intake, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. In Bhutan, national surveys have documented a persistently high burden, with prevalence estimates of 17% in 2012, 35.7% in 2014, and 28.2% in 2019. Despite this, no nationally representative analysis has been published beyond 2019, leaving a critical five-year evidence gap amid rapid urbanization, shifting dietary patterns, and rising rates of overweight and obesity. |
| Objectives | To determine the prevalence of hypertension, its associated factors, and the hypertension care cascade — awareness, treatment, and control — among adults aged 15–69 years using NHS 2023 data. |
| Study Methods | Secondary analysis of the Bhutan National Health Survey 2023, a nationally representative crosssectional survey of 11,880 households across 24 survey domains. Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication. Descriptive statistics, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used, with results expressed as crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CIs. All analyses incorporated complex survey weights. |
| Expected outcomes and use of results | substantial prevalence of hypertension is expected, with significant gaps in awareness, treatment, and control. Older age, male sex, obesity, raised cholesterol, raised blood glucose, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity are anticipated to be key independent determinants. |
| Keywords | hypertension, associated factors, Blood Pressure, raised BP, National Health Survey |
Research Details
| Student research | No |
| Start Date | 01-Apr-2026 |
| End Date | 30-Apr-2026 |
| Key Implementing Institution | Self |
| Multi-country research | No |
| Nationwide research | Yes |
| Research Domain(s) | Non-communicable diseases & Healthy Lifestyles |
| Research field(s) | Non-communicable Disease |
| Involves human subjects | No |
| Data Collection | Secondary data |
| Proposal reviewed by other Committee | No |