World Hypertension Day observed

PR, KalimNews, Kalimpong, 17 May 2016: World Hypertension Day was observed on May 17, 2016.  Nearly one billion people are estimated to be affected by hypertension worldwide, and this figure may go up to 1.5 billion by 2025; right treatment and lifestyle can help in containing hypertension.

One out of every three persons in India is having high-blood pressure. Hypertension is a silent, invisible killer that rarely causes symptoms. High blood pressure or Hypertension is a big danger for health. Its impact is felt on the whole body. The heart plays an important role in blood circulation. The blood pressure during blood circulation is called blood pressure. There are many reasons for hypertension. . 

In 90% of people with hypertension, the cause of high blood pressure is not known and is referred to as primary or essential hypertension. While the specific cause is unknown, there are risk factors that can contribute to developing high blood pressure. 

It is estimated that nearly one billion people are affected by hypertension worldwide, and this figure is predicted to increase to 1.5 billion by 2025. However, right treatment from the doctor, right advice and change in lifestyle can help in containing high blood pressure or hypertension.

Researchers have estimated that nearly nine million people die every year due to High Blood Pressure. Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director –General of the World  Health Organisation(WHO), said, in 2012  , “The World Health Organization is developing a Global Plan of Action, for 2013-2020, to provide a roadmap for country-led action for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. WHO’s Member States are reaching consensus on a global monitoring framework to track progress in preventing and controlling these diseases and their key risk factors. One of the targets envisaged is a substantial reduction in the number of people with raised blood pressure.”

 

The increasing prevalence of hypertension is attributed to population growth, ageing and behavioural risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, excess weight and exposure to persistent stress. The adverse health consequences of hypertension are compounded because many people affected also have other health risk factors that increase the odds of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. These risk factors include tobacco use, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus. Tobacco use increases the risk of complications among those with hypertension. In 2008, 1 billion people were smokers and the global prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. The global prevalence of high cholesterol was 39% and prevalence of diabetes was 10% in adults over 25 years. Tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity are also the main behavioural risk factors of all major non-communicable diseases, i.e. cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer.

Though the low and middle-income countries have a higher prevalence of hypertension, according to the World Health Statistics 2012 report, India has low rates of hypertension compared to world figures. Here, 23.10% men and 22.60% women above 25 years suffer from hypertension. India also fares better than the global average of 29.20 in men and 24.80 in women respectively. In low- and middle-income countries many people do not seek treatment for hypertension because it is prohibitively expensive. Households often then spend a substantial share of their income on hospitalization and care following complications of hypertension, including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. Families face catastrophic health expenditure and spending on health care, which is often long term in the case of hypertension complications, pushing tens of millions of people into poverty (11). Moreover, the loss of family income from death or disability can be devastating. In certain low- and middle-income countries, current health expenditure on cardiovascular diseases alone accounts for 20% of total health expenditure.

Social determinants of health, e.g. income, education and housing, have an adverse impact on behavioural risk factors and in this way influence the development of hypertension. In addition, there are several metabolic factors that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other complications of hypertension, including diabetes, high cholesterol and being overweight or obese. Tobacco and hypertension interact to further raise the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension can only be effectively addressed in the context of systems strengthening across all components of the health system: governance, financing, information, human resources, service delivery and access to inexpensive good quality generic medicines and basic technologies.

Meanwhile, a study called Control of Hypertension in Rural India (CHIRI), funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD) and National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRCA) said that despite hypertension affecting large numbers of people in rural and urban areas of India, very few people actually acknowledge that they have high BP. Fewer among them get their BP checked regularly.

“Very little is known about the emergence of hypertension in rural India, where 70% of the Indian population reside,” says Dr Rama K Guggilla, a research fellow at the George Institute for Global Health India. He added that while people should get their BP checked regularly, it is still not known what prevents them from doing so.

The theme for 2016, as it was in 2015, is,” Know your blood pressure.” World Hypertension Day is celebrated annually since 2005 to distribute the message of maintenance of normal blood pressure among common public. High Blood Pressure means hypertension causes various complications in the body and may lead to the major risk to the heart, stroke, kidney disease, eye disorders, coma or even death. The most intriguing feature of this disease is most people are unaware of their disease. So, the sooner we get to know the numbers, the better for us, says, Dr. A.K.Mukherjee, one of the leading physicians of Kolkata.

In most countries average per-person salt intake is too high and is between 9 grams (g) and 12 g/day, though, WHO recommends that adults should consume less than 2000 milligrams of sodium, or 5 g of salt per day. Sodium content is high in processed foods, such as bread, processed meats, snack foods as well as in condiments such as soy sauce. The food industry can make a major contribution to population health if a gradual and sustained decrease is achieved in the amount of salt that is added to prepackaged foods. In addition, sustained mass-media campaigns are required to encourage reduction in salt consumption in households and communities. 

A reduction in salt intake contributed to the reduction of mortality from heart disease and stroke in Finland in the late 1970s. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and several other high-income countries have also successfully developed programmes of voluntary salt reduction in collaboration with the food industry. More recently, several developing countries have also launched national salt reduction initiatives. Let us also take the same course of action to save the people of our country  from this silent killer.