Demographic Profile, Clinical Characteristics, and Treatment Practices in Systemic Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Abstract Background: Hypertension remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases globally. Despite several evidence-based guidelines, blood pressure (BP) control remains suboptimal, particularly in developing countries. Objectives: To study the demographic, clinical profile, and treatment practice pattern in patients of systemic hypertension attending LNCT Medical College and Sewakunj Hospital, Indore. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at LNCT Medical College and Sewakunj Hospital, Indore, between January 2023 and December 2023. A total of 401 consenting hypertensive adults were enrolled. Clinical data and complete drug-prescription details were recorded. Results: Among the 401 patients, 52.6% were male and 44.4% belonged to the middle-aged group (46–64 years). Diabetes mellitus was present in 19%, coronary artery disease in 18%, and cerebrovascular accidents in 13.7%. Only 10.2% of patients had adequately controlled BP, while 71.3% had stage 2 hypertension. Target organ damage was present in 32.1% of patients, most commonly left ventricular strain pattern (20.7%), followed by retinopathy (16.5%) and nephropathy (12%). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed class (15.7% as monotherapy). However, diuretics were markedly underused and absent as monotherapy. Combination therapy was widely used, particularly ACE inhibitor + beta-blocker (10.4%), calcium channel blocker (CCB) monotherapy (9.9%), and CCB + diuretic (9.4%). Conclusion: Despite the availability of effective medications, BP control in this tertiary care setting remains poor. Diuretics—strongly recommended as the first-line therapy—were significantly underutilized. Greater physician awareness, adherence to guidelines, and improved patient education are required to achieve better hypertension control.