Knowledge of the hypertensive patient about the disease

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge of hypertensive patients about their disease and its self-care. The study was developed in the Basic Health Unit of Teresina/Piauí, with 80 hypertensives patients of 50 to 80 years, registered in the HiperDia System. The study was collected at the home of the hypertensive patients through formularies. The statistical data analysis was carried out using EPI-INFO software (version 6.04b) to obtain simples frequencies, means and standard deviations (p<5%). Results showed that 90% of hypertensive patients known the parameters of blood pressure levels considered high and 45% identified two or three symptoms of a changed blood pressure, as headache, dizziness and malaise. For risk factors, 48.70% of hypertensive patients identified two or three risk factors, 70% for the excessive fats and frieds intakes and 63.80% for the excessive salt intakes. Knowledge about the control measures to hypertension was regular, 91.30% known the medicines as control measures, 53.80% reduction of salt, 17% physical activity and only 6.30% checked the blood pressure. Self-care measures of hight prevalence were the use of medicines (88.80%) and decrease salt intake (87.50%). Thus, the results showed that the hypertensives patients presented a regular knowledge about of them disease, as their self-care.