New Delhi, Sep 20: Better hypertension control can help avert a whopping 4.6 million deaths due to high blood pressure in India, according to a World health Organisation report. The World health Organisation (WHO) released its first-ever report on the devastating global impact of high blood pressure, during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
“Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.Ageing and genetics can increase the risk of having high blood pressure, but modifiable risk factors such as eating a high-salt diet, not being physically active and drinking too much alcohol can also increase the risk of hypertension.
Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco and being more active can help lower blood pressure.
Some people may need medicines that can control hypertension effectively and prevent related complications.Prevention, early detection and effective management of hypertension are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care and should be prioritised by countries as part of their national health benefit package offered at a primary care level, the report said.
“Hypertension control programmes remain neglected, under-prioritised and vastly underfunded. Strengthening hypertension control must be part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage, based on well-functioning, equitable and resilient health systems, built on a foundation of primary health care,” the WHO chief said.
