The clinical presentation of hypertension in Sudan.

The clinical presentation of hypertension was studied prospectively in 328 hypertensives referred to Soba Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan. The mean age of the patients was 48 years, and the major symptoms were cardiac and neurological. Only about a third of these patients were on regular medications at the initial visit. Secondary hypertension was detected in only 5% of patients. The prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption was very low. Renal and cardiac complications were commonly encountered as part of the presentation, while retinopathy was infrequent. These findings are similar to those reported in black hypertensives in Africa but are distinct from the presentation of hypertension in US blacks.