PANAJI: Uncontrolled hypertension is a major cause for concern among elderly Indians. With about 45% of Indians aged 45 and above suffering from hypertension and another 40% with pre-hypertension, India has an impending crisis at hand.
A factsheet published by the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) raises alarm not just on the high prevalence of hypertension in the adult population but also on the significant treatment and diagnosis gaps Using data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI, Wave 1, published in January 2021), the Department of Community Medicine of the premier Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU and GRID council have undertaken a secondary analysis of the hypertension burden and control rates in the ageing population of the country.
Speaking at the release of this factsheet, Professor BR Mittal, Director, IMS, BHU said, “Even as average lifespan has increased and survivorship is on the rise in India due to advancements in medical science and overall development, hypertension, the most prominent risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, often remains underdiagnosed and under treated in the population at large.
Our team decided to study the LASI data for a critical analysis of this silent epidemic. Based on this analysis, it was noted with concern that 45 per cent adult Indians were hypertensive and almost 30 percent had high blood pressure at any point of time for want of diagnosis and/ or control. We are planning to set up a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Secretariat with eminent faculty members at IMS, BHU to study the problem more closely and suggest course of public health action.”
Dr.Shekhar Salkar, Renowned Oncologist & President NOTE,Goa says “Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), primarily ischaemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.7 million deaths annually. WHO estimates that India accounts for over a fifth of these deaths. Hypertension has also been identified as a major risk factor for adverse outcomes during the deadly Covid-19 pandemic”.
With 40 per cent of the sample population studied by LASI found to be pre-hypertensive, there is a likelihood that the disease burden will rise even further in the coming years unless robust action is taken. Goa is also prey to hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension is at a high of 46.1% in Goa as per the LASI report added Dr.Salkar