THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIET AND BLOOD PRESSURE LEVELS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS AT THE SEDONG HEALTH CENTER CIREBON REGENCY

Hypertension is defined as a condition where systolic pressure reaches or
exceeds 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure exceeds 90 mmHg, the etiology of
which is often associated with poor diet. A poor diet with no attention to balanced
nutrition tends to trigger the accumulation of cholesterol and fat that can lead to
hypertension. This study aims to analyze the relationship between diet and blood
pressure levels in patients with hypertension.
This study uses cross-sectional quantitative. The sampling technique used
accidental sampling for 2 weeks with 74 respondents. The instrument used was a
blood pressure observation sheet and a questionnaire sheet about the diet of
hypertensive patients. Data analysis using chi square test with p value 0.048.
Of the 74 respondents, 2.7% with a good diet included stage 1 hypertension,
while 17.6% others were also at the same stage. Most patients with stage II
hypertension (32.4% and 47.3%) had a poor diet. This study obtained a p value of
0.048 (<0.5) which indicates that there is a significant relationship between diet
and increased blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
This study shows that diet has a significant relationship with the degree of
hypertension; a poor diet tends to cause grade 2 hypertension. A balanced diet is
important to control blood pressure in people with hypertension.