Integration of a task strengthening strategy for hypertension management into HIV care in Nigeria: Baseline characteristics of participants in a cluster randomized controlled trial
Published in the American Heart Journal, February 2026.
Authors: Weixi Chen, Adesola Z. Musa, Oluwatosin Odubela, Deborah Onakomaiya, Shivani Mishra, Nafesa Kanneh, Calvin L. Colvin, Yusuf Mariam, Ifeoma Odigbe, Chioma Nwankwo, Yemi Odejobi, Ayomide Adewumi, David A. Oladele, Bamidele Tayo, Angela A. Aifah, JiYuan Hu, Gbenga Ogedegbe , Juliet Iwelunmor, Oliver Ezechi
This study looked at how common high blood pressure is among people living with HIV in Lagos, Nigeria, and how well it is being managed within primary health centers. As access to HIV treatment has improved, people with HIV are living longer, but this also means they are developing more chronic conditions such as hypertension. The researchers focused on a care model called TASSH, which strengthens the ability of primary care clinics to manage high blood pressure alongside HIV treatment. Before testing different ways of implementing this model, they collected baseline information from thousands of patients.
More than 3,500 adults receiving HIV care were screened, and nearly 30 percent were found to have hypertension—a higher rate than previously reported in similar populations. From this group, 830 people were enrolled for more detailed assessment. They were mostly women, around 49 years old on average, and the majority had at least a secondary education and were employed, though most earned relatively low incomes. Despite many reporting healthy lifestyle habits, almost two‑thirds were overweight or obese. Their median blood pressure was 150 over 95, which is well above the threshold for hypertension.
A significant number of participants were not receiving adequate treatment for their high blood pressure. Only about a quarter were continuing medications they had previously been prescribed, while two‑thirds needed new prescriptions at the time of enrollment. Some participants also reported lifestyle factors that can worsen hypertension, such as alcohol use, smoking, and physical inactivity, though these behaviors were not extremely common.
Overall, the findings show that hypertension is widespread among people living with HIV in Lagos and is often not well controlled. Even though many patients reported trying to maintain healthy habits, high rates of obesity and gaps in medication use suggest that better integration of hypertension management into routine HIV care is urgently needed. The study underscores the importance of strengthening primary health centers so they can address both HIV and chronic conditions like high blood pressure in a coordinated way.