{"id":8970,"date":"2021-09-10T11:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T09:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/?post_type=news&p=8970"},"modified":"2021-09-10T11:05:53","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T09:05:53","slug":"hypertension-need-not-be-a-silent-killer","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/hypertension-need-not-be-a-silent-killer\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypertension need not be a “silent killer”"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2019, high blood pressure or hypertension caused more than half the cases of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure experienced around the world, and more than 10 million deaths. While often causing no overt symptoms, hypertension can damage the function of major organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys, and yet only a minority of patients with hypertension have it under control. The WHF Roadmap on Hypertension<\/strong><\/a> aims to support the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and management of raised blood pressure. The Roadmap is a resource for clinicians, policymakers, patients, and their families. It provides evidence-based guidance and information on epidemiology, emerging technologies, health system strategies, and policies.<\/em><\/p>\n

With ageing and given our lifestyle and habits, maintaining blood pressure at an ideal level such as 120 over 80\u00a0 can be a challenge. \u00a0Hypertension is defined as any blood pressure that is equal to, or greater than, 140 over 90 millimetres of mercury. Primary causes include a high-salt diet, being overweight, excess alcohol intake and inadequate physical exercise; secondary and more rare causes include sleep apnea and conditions affecting the kidneys,\u00a0 adrenal and thyroid glands. More recently, factors such as air pollution, poor housing, traffic, and noise disturbance have been implicated.<\/p>\n

Despite a seemingly gloomy picture, hypertension can be managed through a combination of lifestyle adjustments and medications that stave off complications and avert risks to cardiovascular health. A significant challenge in all regions but especially in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), is raising awareness about the importance of measuring one\u2019s blood pressure and securing access to the range of treatment options.<\/p>\n

\u201cHypertension is a disease of three paradoxes: It is usually easy to diagnose, easy to treat, and easy to control, yet in many parts of the world, it is poorly diagnosed, treated, and controlled. This Roadmap looks at a range of possible solutions to improve the detection, treatment and management of hypertension,<\/em>\u201d said Professor Prabhakaran Dorairaj of the Public Health Foundation of India<\/a> (PHFI), <\/a>\u00a0and co-chair WHF Roadmap on Hypertension.<\/p>\n

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