Almost 30% of people in State have pre-hypertension: Study

CHENNAI: The State has a prevalence of 29.7% of pre-hypertension, as per the ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) analysis.

Health experts say that lifestyle changes are one of the main reasons for the increasing prevalence of hypertension. However, the actual figures are likely to be higher as the screening level is comparatively lower.

“The data on hypertension is not the exact number of people who are suffering from it, because many people are not screened or screened at an advanced stage of the disease,” pointed out said Dr Vijay Chakravarthy, general physician, Kumaran Hospital. “The main cause behind the increasing prevalence of hypertension is diet. It’s important to regulate what we eat because biscuits or chips are having a higher concentration of sugar and salt than what is required by the human body in a day. We’re noticing a higher intake of salt becoming common in people, which leads to hypertension.”

The recent study also pointed out that the obesity was linked to hypertension. Dr Vijay added that stress and sedentary lifestyle worsens blood pressure levels. “While hypertension is genetic, it might occur at an earlier age in the current generation because of their lifestyle choices. The good news is that people today are aware of their health parameters compared to the previous generations. So we’re able to understand the hypertension incidence in a better manner,” he explained.

The study also highlighted that pre-hypertension, preventable and treatable, was also the cause of cardiovascular health concerns in the later stages. It adds to the burden of non-communicable diseases in the State.

“If someone in the family has hypertension and heart issues, they need to be more careful, because hypertension can be genetic and leads to myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest,” said Dr Zeenath Begum, clinical cardiologist, Prashanth Super Speciality Hospital.

She added that people need to also note the signs of rise in BP, high cholesterol or headaches and get screened to be able to prevent the risk of cardiac issues. “These can be early indications of pre-hypertension and need to be detected quickly for a better management and prevention of cardiovascular issues,” she pointed out.