Early prevention can reduce cardiovascular mortality

Time to prevent hypertension as a silent killer from engulfing the nation. With at least 1.13 billion adults suffering from hypertension in the world, May 17  is observed as World Hypertension Day. We need to check the right boxes to generate awareness about the issue while initiating medical efforts to tackle it as well.

Today when we talk about having a healthy lifestyle, especially after Covid, it still looks like a distant reality especially when one is suffering from high blood pressure resulting in hypertension. It is not without reason that hypertension is called the silent killer. It is related to heart disease, development of ischemic heart, and chronic kidney and other killer diseases.

In India, over the last decade, cardiovascular diseases have emerged as the top killer in India and an underlying cause for this exponential rise is hypertension. The latest NFHS 5 India data reveal that non-communicable diseases account for 65 per cent of all deaths in India and the major metabolic risk factors include raised blood pressure among others.

Although easily treated and controlled if detected and treated early, high blood pressure is now a full-fledged health crisis with twenty-one percent of women and 24 percent of men age 15 and suffering from hypertension according to the latest NFHS 5 data. Thirty-nine per cent of women and 49 percent of men age 15 and over are pre-hypertensive.

Early diagnosis is the crucial step for proper management and is associated with substantial reductions in cardiovascular mortality. Primary health care centres in India should be responsible in providing basic health measures including a regular and continuous supply of medicines so that the poorest of the poor are not deprived of regular medication. Besides screening, the healthcare workers should also be trained to provide lifestyle advice, initiate low doses of safe medications and reinforce adherence. The NFHS 5 findings also revealed that when it comes to treatment, only seven per cent of women and six per cent of men who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure are on medication - an issue that is of critical concern.

In a recent update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 'a population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs, i.e., diabetes, hypertension and common cancers has been rolled out in the country under National Health Mission (NHM) and also as a part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care. Under the initiative, persons more than 30 years of age are targeted for their screening for common NCDs. Screening of these common NCDs is an integral part of service delivery under Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres.'The preventive aspect of cardiovascular diseases is strengthened under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care through the Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme, by promotion of wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level will help in the early detection and diagnosis of hypertension.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is another important aspect of controlling high BP. Avoid smoking, limit or eliminate alcohol consumption and increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet regularly. One should also reduce salt intake and try and follow the WHO recommendation of less than 5g per day. This will significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and coronary heart attacks.

Other useful measures are the promotion of physical activity by local environmental changes at home, workplace and schools. User-friendly food labels which are easy to interpret for consumers in determining unhealthy food products high in salt, sugar and fats will also help in reducing controlling of blood pressure in the long run.

(The writer is a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal.)