In view of dramatic rise in deaths due to hypertension in the country, the Government is mulling to dedicate a particular day of each year for highlighting the dangers of the "silent killer," which according to the WHO, accounts for seven per cent of disability adjusted life years worldwide and 9.4 million deaths annually.
In India, it is the leading non-communicable disease (NCD) risk and estimated to be cause for nearly 10 per cent of all deaths, Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister said at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Hypertension Society of India (HSICON) on Saturday. PNS
The roots of most NCD, including hypertension, lie in the modern, sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, more resources than before would be deployed for the objective of raising public awareness on preventive measures and early diagnosis. That is why we need to declare a certain day of each year as 'National Hypertension Day', he said.
"A three-pronged plan is conceptualised. First, by raising awareness of prevention and early diagnosis among the largely youthful population, we hope to bring down the number of undiagnosed hypertensive patients over the next five years.
"Secondly, the Government will deploy funds for research into personalised treatment which is the major area of research worldwide into the development of medicines for this condition. And, thirdly, the government health system will be fitted out with departments for individualised treatment of patients," the Minister said.
According to a report, adult hypertension prevalence has risen dramatically over the past three decades from five per cent to between 20-40 per cent in urban areas and 12-17 per cent in rural areas. Most people don't know they are suffering from hypertension until it is too late.
The number of hypertensive individuals is anticipated to nearly double from 118 million in 2000 to 213 million by 2025. It is estimated that 16 per cent of ischemic heart disease, 21 per cent of peripheral vascular disease, 24 per cent of acute myocardial infarctions and 29 per cent of strokes are attributable to hypertension.