ASSESSMENT OF SERUM ELECTROLYTE LEVELS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS ATTENDING IN DILLA REFERRAL & TEACHING HOSPITAL GEDEO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: COMPARATIVE CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a medical condition and remains the most important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in which a person's chronic elevated of blood pressure is ≥140/90 mmHg. It caused 9.4 million fatalities annually across the global. But there exists scarcity of data in an electrolyte imbalance among hypertensive in our study settings. Objective: To assess serum electrolyte level and associated factors among hypertensive patients and control group attending at Dilla Referral & Teaching Hospital Gedeo zone, southern Ethiopia. Method: A hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1 to November 30, 2024, involving 162 participants (81 hypertensive and 81 normotensive). Systematic random sampling was used, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire. Blood samples (5 ml) were taken for serum analysis (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, chloride) using Siemens ADVIA 560 analyzers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26, with independent t-tests and binary, multivariable analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: Hypertensive patients exhibited significantly higher mean ± SD levels of calcium, chloride, sodium (p < 0.001) and potassium levels (p = 0.015) compared to normotensive participants. Conversely, phosphate and magnesium levels showed no significant differences. In multivariable regression analysis, participants with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg were 3.218 times (AOR = 3.218; 95% CI: 1.050-10.109) and 4.224 times (AOR = 4.224; 95% CI: 1.286-13.874) more likely, respectively, to experience electrolyte imbalance. Additionally, female hypertensive patients were 3.992 times (AOR =3.992;95% CI=1.413-11.272:P = 0.003) more likely to have electrolyte imbalances compared to male. Patients with a hypertension duration exceeding five years were 6.811 times (AOR 6.811; 95% CI = 2.178-21.292, P = 0.001) more likely to have electrolyte imbalances than those with a shorter duration. Conclusion: To conclude, hypertensive patients have more likely to have electrolyte imbalance than control groups. Female gender, longer duration of hypertension, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg were all statistically significantly associated with electrolyte imbalance among hypertensive patient