Twice as many cases of hypertension as 30 years ago. Are you at risk?

<p>In the last 30 years, the number of adults, aged 30 to 79 years, living with hypertension has doubled globally.&nbsp;</p> <p>From around 331 million (33.1 crore) women and 317&nbsp;million&nbsp;(31.7 crore) men in 1990, the number rose to&nbsp;626 million (62.6 crores) women and 652 million (65.2 crores) men by 2019. Most of this increase was observed in low to middle-income countries, informs a study recently published in the journal Lancet.</p> <p>In India, the prevalence of hypertension, also called high blood pressure,&nbsp;grew&nbsp;from&nbsp;28% in women and 29% in men in 1990 to 32% in women and 38% in men in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />The study analysed blood pressure measurements of over 100 million adults across 184 countries.&nbsp;</p> <p>Even though hypertension is easy to diagnose and treat, nearly half of the people&nbsp;living&nbsp;with high BP were unaware and more than half were not treated, found the study.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As a result,&nbsp;8.5 million&nbsp;(85 lakh)&nbsp;people died of hypertension in 2015. The condition is also a leading risk factor for&nbsp;heart attack, heart failure, other vascular diseases and renal disease.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>SEE MORE&nbsp;<a href=https://www.editorji.com/story/battling-moderate-hypertension-exercise-should-be-the-first-line-of-defence-1623301359859>Battling moderate hypertension? Exercise should be the first line of defence</a></strong></p> <h3>What is the blood pressure range for hypertension?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3> <p><a href=https://www.editorji.com/story/everyday-foods-that-may-increase-your-blood-pressure-1607241677340>Blood pressure</a> is measured as a combination of two key numbers, that is systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A person is diagnosed with hypertension if their&nbsp;systolic blood pressure reading is greater than or equal to&nbsp;140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure reading&nbsp;is&nbsp;greater than or equal to&nbsp;90 mmHg, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).&nbsp;</p> <h3>Symptoms of&nbsp;hypertension&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3> <p>Known as the silent killer, there are no clear warning signs or symptoms of <a href=https://www.editorji.com/story/hypertension-a-fatal-heart-disorder-that-shows-no-warning-signs-in-the-early-stages-1629262010042>hypertension</a>. The WHO recommends&nbsp;regular&nbsp;BP&nbsp;measurements from a health professional&nbsp;to stay safe.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>SEE MORE&nbsp;<a href=https://www.editorji.com/story/covid-19-and-high-blood-pressure-precautionary-measures-to-be-taken-1620879324894>Covid-19 and high blood pressure: Precautionary measures to be taken</a>&nbsp;</strong></p> <h3>Common causes of hypertension&nbsp;</h3> <p>Apart from non-modifiable causes of hypertension such as family history, age of over 65 years, co-existing illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease, hypertension can be caused by diet factors like heavy salt intake, high intake of&nbsp;saturated fat and trans fats as well as lower consumption of fruits and vegetables. Lack of physical activity, tobacco, alcohol consumption and&nbsp;being overweight may also increase your risk.</p> <p><strong>SEE MORE&nbsp;<a href=https://www.editorji.com/story/everyday-foods-that-may-increase-your-blood-pressure-1607241677340>Everyday foods that may increase your blood pressure</a></strong></p>