Hypertension

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can damage your heart and cause health problems if it stays high for a long time. Hypertension, also called high blood pressure, is blood pressure that is higher than normal.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Hypertension  ̶  or elevated blood pressure  ̶  is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases.

An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries.An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition.Less than half of adults (42%) with hypertension are diagnosed and treated.Approximately in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.1 The overall pooled prevalence of hypertension in Pakistan in 2021 was 26.34% (25.93%, 26.75%). Subgroup analysis showed higher urban prevalence 26.61% (21.80%, 31.42%) than the rural dwellers 21.03% (10.18%, 31.87%) 2.

One of the global targets for noncommunicable diseases is to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33% between 2010 and 2030.According to a study from second National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016–2017, age adjusted weighted prevalence of hypertension was 46.2%, of which 24.9% had self-reported hypertension and 21.3% were newly diagnosed hypertensive.Prevalence of hypertension in urban and rural areas was 44.3% and 46.8%, respectively. Highest weighted prevalence of hypertension was observed in Punjab 49.2% followed by Sindh 46.3%, Baluchistan 40.9%, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 33.3%. Age, female gender, marital status, positive family history of hypertension, low physical activity, positive family history of diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia were significantly associated with hypertension.3

According to a survey of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in health screening camps of rural central Punjab, Pakistan, Crude prevalence of hypertension was found to be 35.1% and age-standardized prevalence was 34.4%. 4

The National Health Survey of Pakistan estimated that hypertension affects 18% of adults and 33% of adults above 45 years old.5

References

  1. Mills KT, Stefanescu A, He J. The global epidemiology of hypertension. Nature Reviews Nephrology. 2020 Apr;16(4):223-37.
  2. Shah N, Shah Q, Shah AJ. The burden and high prevalence of hypertension in Pakistani adolescents: a meta-analysis of the published studies. Archives of public health. 2018 Dec;76(1):1-0.
  3. Basit A, Tanveer S, Fawwad A, Naeem N, NDSP Members. Prevalence and contributing risk factors for hypertension in urban and rural areas of Pakistan; a study from second National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016–2017. Clinical and Experimental Hypertension. 2020 Apr 2;42(3):218-24.
  4. Shafi ST, Shafi T. A survey of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in health screening camps of rural central Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of epidemiology and global health. 2017 Jun 1;7(2):135-40.
  5. Saleem F, Hassali AA, Shafie AA. Hypertension in Pakistan: time to take some serious action. British Journal of General Practice. 2010 Jun 1;60(575):449-50.