High blood pressure leads to heart failure, kidney damage if left untreated: WHO

Over the last few years, high blood pressure or hypertension has been a silent killer for millions across the globe. In its first-ever report, the World Health Organisation shared the devastating effects of high blood pressure and how this deadly condition leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and other health problems.

The report shows approximately 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated.

Over 10.8 per cent of all deaths in India are caused by hypertension, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The number of people living with hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher or taking medication for hypertension) doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion, as per WHO.
Around half of the people with hypertension globally remain unaware of their condition. The report suggested that even though older age and genetics can increase the risk of high blood pressure, other factors like having a diet high in salt, not being physically active and drinking too much alcohol can cause hypertension too.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it.”

He added that control programs should be strengthened in every country’s health coverage.

An increase in the number of patients effectively treated for hypertension to levels observed in high-performing countries could prevent 76 million deaths, 120 million strokes, 79 million heart attacks, and 17 million cases of heart failure between now and 2050.

Here are some ways to prevent hypertension, as per the WHO.

• Protocol: Practical dose- and drug-specific treatment protocols with specific action steps for managing uncontrolled blood pressure can streamline care and improve adherence.
  Medication and equipment supply: Regular, uninterrupted access to affordable medication is necessary for effective hypertension treatment. Currently, prices for essential anti-hypertensive medicines vary by more than ten-fold between countries.
• Team-based care: Patient outcomes improve when a team collaborates to adjust and intensify blood pressure medication regimens per doctor orders and protocols.
  Patient-centred services: To reduce barriers to care by providing easy-to-take medication regimens, free medications and close-to-home follow-up visits, and making blood pressure monitoring readily available.
• Information systems: User-centred, simple information systems facilitate rapid recording of essential patient-level data, reduce health care worker data entry burden, and support rapid scale-up while maintaining or improving the quality of care.

The prevention, early detection and effective management of hypertension are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care.