What are the provinces with the highest percentage of hypertensive, obese and diabetic patients?

The Ministry of Public Health, as part of its measurement and prevention strategy, develops the so-called Days of Overweight, Obesity, Diabetes, and Hypertension (Sodhi) to detect in what proportion these diseases are affecting the population and determine the plans of action in the zones with the maximum values.

The first Sodhi study was carried out in May 2021, in which 7,949 adults participated, and it was detected that 32.3% of the participants suffered from hypertension, 12% from diabetes, and 71.1% from overweight and obesity.

According to Minister Daniel Rivera, of those 2,544 people who were diagnosed with high blood pressure, 46% (1,170 participants) did not know they had this condition.

In addition to blood pressure, on Sodhi days, patients have their blood glucose, body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index measured.

Monte Cristi leads the list of provinces with the highest number of inhabitants with high blood pressure (50.5%), followed by Espaillat (48.2%) and Duarte (45.8%).

Mirabal sisters (45.5%), San Cristóbal (44.6%), Pedernales (40.2%), Hato Mayor (40%), María Trinidad Sánchez (36.6%), Barahona (35.2%) and San Pedro de Macorís (34.5%) complete the ten provinces with the highest concentration of hypertensive patients.

Santiago ranks 13th with 33.2% of the hypertensive population, and Santo Domingo ranks 15th with 32.7%.

Rivera explained that hypertension causes lesions in the coronary arteries, which, together with diabetes and high cholesterol, cause ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction.

On the other hand, the Sodhi study also documented that Hato Mayor concentrates the most significant overweight and obese population in the country, with 81.1% of the participants.

The second place is for San Pedro de Macorís (79.2%), and the National District with 78.6% completes the triplet.

Other provinces with a high rate of obesity are: Monte Cristi (78.4%), Bahoruco (77.9%), Samaná (76.5%), La Vega (75.4%), María Trinidad Sánchez (75.2%), Santiago (75.1%) and Dajabón (75%).

In Santo Domingo, the incidence of obesity is 69 percent.

diabetic patients

As for citizens with high blood sugar, these are concentrated in Monte Plata (45.5%), Azua (37.5%), and Elías Piña (36.4%).

Minister Rivera stated that these figures are high, considering that the average is 12%.

Other provinces with a high number of patients with hyperglycemia are Monte Cristi (23.9%), Pedernales (23.9%), Espaillat (23.5%), La Vega (22.4%), National District (21.2%), El Seibo (20%) and Mirabal Sisters (19.8%).

Paradoxically, Monte Cristi is in the top 4 in all three categories, yet it also has the largest long-lived population.