‘Uncontrolled hypertension adding to India’s stroke burden’

NEW DELHI: In a startling revelations, it has come to notice that undetected and untreated hypertension is adding to India’s rising stroke burden as doctors from AIIMS has stated that at least 64 per cent stroke patients have hypertension, which is the most prevalent risk factor for the deadly cardiovascular eventuality.

However, doctors from AIIMS have stressed on focusing hypertension treatment as a prevention strategy to save millions of lives.

On the issue, Dr Pradeep Aggarwal, who is Professor, Community Medicine at AIIMS Rishikesh, said, “It’s the time we recognise that hypertension, an easily treatable condition, has far reaching repercussions. Raised blood pressure can result in stroke which not only causes premature death and life-long disability, it can throw families into irrecoverable financial shocks and loss of income.”

Warning that severe hypertension has been correlated with a poorer prognosis and even higher mortality in stroke patients, Dr Surender Deora, a senior cardiologist at AIIMSJodhpur, said, “In majority of cases we see that ischaemic stroke is linked to poor control of high blood pressure. Stroke is a massive public health and well-being concern as upto 50 per cent survivors remain disabled for the rest of their lives.”

Notably, AIIMS Bathinda, Jodhpur, Gorakhpur and Rishikesh have come together to provide thought leadership on keeping hypertension treatment prioritised as an issue of national importance, supported by Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).