Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a public health problem worldwide due to its causal
relationship with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It is a frequent complication in patients with
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, increasing the risk of CVD. Masked hypertension defined as an office
blood pressure <140/90mmHg and an average 24H ambulatory BP >130 and/or 80mmHg, further
increases this risk. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of masked HTA in a population of
type 2 diabetic patients in Maputo Central Hospital. METHODS: Quantitative, observational, and
cross-sectional study. Selected 100 type 2 diabetic patients with normal office blood pressure.
Sociodemographic data were obtained through a questionnaire, processed, and analysed in SPSS
version 27. Ambulatory 24-hour BP monitoring (ABPM) was performed for the diagnosis of
masked HTA. Pulse wave velocity was used to measure the cardiovascular risk. Haematological
and biochemical analyses were used from the last 6 months before the study.
RESULTS: The mean age of the population was 51,72 years (SD ± 8.69) and 52% were female.
Masked hypertension was present in 53% of participants. The highest number of cases of masked
HTA was observed in the male population (53,2%). The waist-hip ratio, BMI, and the residence
in suburban areas showed a strong association with the presence of masked hypertension.
CONCLUSION: The frequency of Masked hypertension in type 2 diabetic patients is high. As a
consequence of its bad prognosis, we propose a wider availability of the 24H blood pressure
technology.
