World Hypertension Day - 50pc adult population living with hypertension: experts

MN Report

KARACHI- Voicing concern that 50 per cent adult population of Pakistan are living with hypertension, prominent cardiologists called for concerted efforts to create awareness about the need to control blood pressure levels.

These astounding figures concerning high prevalence of hypertension were disclosed by health experts at a seminar held here under the aegis of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Pakistan Hypertension League on the occasion of World Hypertension Day-2015.

The seminar was addressed, among others, by Prof Azhar Farooqui, Prof Junaid Ashraf, Dr Rakshanda, Dr Tanveer Alam, Dr Hussain Haroon.

They pointed out that prevalence of hypertension is 50pc among adult population above 50-year age, 30pc among around 30-year-old people while 5 to 7pc children are living with this disease in the country.

Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz Lashari said hypertension is a silent killer and a significant number of people are living with this disease in the country. He said awareness about hypertension disease is a key to avoid from further complications.

“Obesity, under-weight babies, consumption of junk food, stress and less activity are common causes of hypertension disease in the society,” he noted.      

Urging people to change their life styles, Prof Khalida Soomro stressed the need for reducing salt intake, alcohol consumption and weight, besides increasing physical activity.

Dr Nusrat Shah, a gynecologist at the Civil Hospital Karachi said hypertension is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the country. She stressed the need for creating awareness about disease among women.

Experts revealed that hypertension is a global epidemic and globally 7m people die from high blood pressure or hypertension annually, while 1.5 billion suffer from this disease every year.

According to Pakistan Medical Research Council’s (PMRC) 1997 data, 18pc Pakistan population above 15 years has been suffering from hypertension.