A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study in Iraq to Determine the Outcomes for Patients with High Blood Pressure and Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Background: In most parts of the world, allergic rhinitis and hypertension are health risks that affect patients' quality of life. This paper aimed to analyze and assess the clinical outcomes of patients with disordered blood pressure and allergic rhinitis. Patients and methods: Data was collected from different hospitals in Iraq to cover the diagnosis and evaluation of the health status of patients from 6th August 2022 to 15th April 2023 for patients between the ages of 30 and 60 years. A total of 100 patients were recruited, including 50 patients with hypertension and allergic rhinitis and a control group of 50 patients. The research data showed basic demographic results in terms of age, gender, symptoms, comorbidities, smoking factor, and obesity factor. This study evaluated the outcomes related to the quality of life of patients with blood pressure disorders based on the SF-36 health status questionnaire. Results: The study discovered a notable rise in the prevalence of asthma patients, with rates reaching 48% for the patient group and 28% for the control group. Specifically, the systolic blood pressure rate in the control group stood at (110.47 ± 3.78), whereas the patient group witnessed a substantial increase, peaking at (123.68 ± 5.48). There was also a fluctuation in diastolic blood pressure among both genders, with an average diastolic blood pressure of (77.41 ± 10.23) for males and (78.10 ± 9.91) for females. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the co-occurrence of allergic rhinitis and asthma leads to a noticeable and significant deterioration in the quality of life for individuals with irregular blood pressure due to the exacerbation of symptoms. Furthermore, our findings indicate that male patients with hypertension are more notably affected by allergic rhinitis than their female counterparts.