HYPERTENSION

“HYPERTENSION: Why we, you and me?” appears to be a fragment of a question or statement related to hypertension. Hypertension is a global health concern affecting 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years, a significant portion (2/3rd living in low- and middle- income countries) of the world’s population. The prevalence of hypertension can vary by region, country and demographic factors. As per the report of World Health Organization (WHO), African region has the highest prevalence of hypertension (27%) while America’s region has the lowest of 18%. According to National Family health survey-5 (NFHS-5; 2019-20) report, estimated hypertension prevalence was 24% in men and 21% among women. The overall prevalence of hypertension among adults is about 30% in India with 34% in urban and 28% in rural parts. Before 2030, the global target for non-communicable diseases is to reduce the hypertension by less than 32%. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure occurs when the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is consistently too high (140/90 mmHg or higher), which can lead to serious health problems such as heart diseases, stroke and kidney damage. Blood pressure has two interrelated companions i.e. systolic and diastolic. When the heart contracts or beats, the pressure in blood vessels represents systolic pressure. When the heart rests between beats, the pressure in vessels represents diastolic pressure. It is a common but complex medical condition influenced by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affects many people worldwide. Some of the risk factors are family history, natural aging process and hardening of arteries, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, obesity, chronic health conditions, high stress lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, hormonal factors and many more. The question arises “What we can do to manage and prevent hypertension?”. We may not feel the symptoms of hypertension. This is the WAKE UP call for we all- Life is in danger! Go Get Ready! Regular blood pressure monitoring and life style modifications such as a healthy diet, exercise or physical activity, stress management, limiting alcohol consumption and salt intake are the improvement sites to follow with no risk.