Published in:
01-09-2019 | Hypertension | Original Research Article
Hypertension and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL): Evidence from the US Hispanic Population
Published in: Clinical Drug Investigation | Issue 9/2019
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Background and Objective
Little evidence exists regarding the marginal decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in relation to the presence of hypertension among a Hispanic population based on US population-based research.
Method
This cross-sectional study used data from the 2014 to 2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). The target population was comprised of Hispanic community-dwelling residents with hypertension in the USA. The independent variable was the presence of hypertension. The dependent variable was HRQoL, which was measured using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) physical health composite scale (PCS) and mental health composite scale (MCS).
Results
A total of 13,933 members of the Hispanic population met the study inclusion criteria, and the estimated population size was 36,440,400 Hispanics. Among them, 82.9% did not have any hypertensive condition (n = 11,466), while 17.7% had some hypertensive condition (n = 2467). SF-12 PCS scores (95% CI) were 46.62 (45.68–47.57) in the Hispanic population with hypertension and 51.62 (51.1–52.14) in the Hispanic population without hypertension. SF-12 MCS scores (95% CI) were 52.67 (52.07–53.27) in patients without hypertension and 50.35 (49.45–51.26) in the Hispanic population with hypertensive conditions.
Conclusion
The presence of hypertension was associated with lower HRQoL in the Hispanic population. Based on our findings, we suggest that healthcare providers should monitor a hypertensive minority population for anxiety and mood disorders and recommend psychiatric assessment and treatment if appropriate.