Data from: Health services intervention integrating HTN and HIV care improves long-term blood pressure control among people living with HIV in Uganda

Globally, the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) among people with HIV (PWH)
has increased dramatically over the last decade. In a cluster randomized
trial, we evaluated the effect of a multicomponent intervention model on
blood pressure (BP) control among PWH in rural Uganda. The integrated
HIV/HTN trial enrolled adults (≥18-years) with HIV from 52 health centres
in 26 districts of rural Southwestern Uganda. The intervention included:
1) health-worker training on integrating HTN care into HIV services, 2)
promoting HTN screening and treatment among providers; 3) availing
essential equipment and consumables; and 4) WhatsApp messaging for
coordination. Among intervention participants with previously diagnosed
HTN (defined as BP measurement >140/90mmHg), we evaluated
longitudinal changes in the proportion with World Health Organization
(WHO) defined control (<140/90mmHg) from trial baseline to
12-months of follow-up. We further reported the proportions that achieved
BP reduction by ≥10mmHg. Of the 1200 intervention participants with HTN,
60% were female, with a median age of 49 years. At trial baseline, only
3.6% of participants had controlled BP.  After 12 months of the
intervention, 36.7% had achieved control, corresponding to an absolute
increase of 33.1% (95%CI: 25.3-41.0%; p<0.001). Significant
improvements in BP control were observed across subgroups of age, sex and
level of health centre. In addition, after 12 months, 70% of all
participants had achieved at least 10mmHg reduction in their BP, including
74% of participants with baseline Grade 2 HTN (160-179/100-109 mmHg) and
79% of participants with Grade 3 HTN (≥180/110 mmHg). Among participants
without WHO-level control at 12-months, 54% achieved at least 10mmHg
reduction in BP. This health services intervention to integrate HTN and
HIV care in rural primary care facilities improved long-term BP control by
30% and most participants with baseline Grade 2 and 3 HTN achieved
>10mmHg reduction in their BP over the 12-month follow-up.