Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Biology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) that is the leading cause of death across the world. In developing nations, like Kenya, the prevalence of NCDs like CVD are on the rise. Hypertension is the major risk factor for CVD and can be influenced by various environmental risk factors, like physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Though these are known factors that can affect blood pressure in developed nations, research over the prevalence of essential hypertension (EH) in developing countries is low. In an area in southeast Kenya known as Kasigau, there is a high prevalence of EH in the population, with fifty-five percent having stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. Six environmental risk factors have been shown to increase blood pressure in the population. By electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis, there is a prevalence of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH), a predictor of CVD, in the population as well.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Nancy Rice
Disciplines
Biology
Recommended Citation
Dodson, Addie, "Correlation of Environmental Risks with the Prevalence of Essential Hypertension and Chronic Cardiac Disease in Kasigau, Kenya" (2014). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 462.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/462