Global Report on Hypertension

• 22 Sep 2023

For Prelims: World Health Organization (WHO), Hypertension, India Hypertension Control Initiative Program (IHCI)

For Mains: Hypertension and its implications on public health, Universal Health Coverage.

Source: DTE

Why in News?

Recently, during the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) 78^th session, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report titled "Global report on hypertension: The race against a silent killer."

• It is the first-ever report by the WHO on the worldwide implications of hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure.

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

• A Global Epidemic:
  • One in three adults across the world suffers from hypertension.
  • The number of hypertension cases has doubled from 650 million to a staggering 1.3 billion between 1990 and 2019.
  • Hypertension affects approximately 33% of adults aged 30-79 worldwide.
  • Approximately four out of every five people with hypertension are not adequately treated.
• India's Hypertension Burden:
  • India alone has an estimated 188.3 million adults aged 30–79 years grappling with hypertension.
  • The prevalence of high blood pressure in India is slightly lower than the global average of 31%.
  • To reach a 50% control rate, India needs to ensure that an additional 67 million people with hypertension receive effective treatment.
    • If the progress scenario were achieved, 4.6 million deaths due to high blood pressure would be averted by 2040.
• Inadequate Treatment:
  • About 80% of individuals with hypertension do not receive adequate treatment.
    • Effective hypertension treatment has the potential to prevent 76 million deaths, 120 million strokes, 79 million heart attacks, and 17 million cases of heart failure by 2050.
• Disparities in Treatment Coverage:
  • Treatment coverage for hypertension exhibits significant disparities among countries, with high-income nations having a more favourable coverage rate.
    • The WHO region of the US leads with a 60% coverage rate, while the African region lags behind at 27%.
  • More than three-quarters of adults with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Urgency of Timely Treatment:
  • Nearly 30% of individuals with uncontrolled hypertension exhibit blood pressure measurements above the threshold warranting urgent treatment.
    • Globally, the percentage of adults aged 30–70 taking medication for hypertension has doubled from 22% in 1990 to 42% in 2019.
  • Effective treatment coverage has quadrupled during the same period, reaching 21%.
• The WHO's Call to Action:
  • The WHO calls for prioritising the prevention, early detection, and effective management of hypertension as part of national health benefit packages.
• Recommendations:
  • There is a need to strengthen hypertension control programs that remain under-prioritized and acutely underfunded.
  • Strengthening hypertension control must become an integral part of every country's journey toward universal health coverage.

What is Hypertension?

• About:
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). It is common but can be serious if not treated.
    • Blood pressure is written as two numbers.
      • The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats.
      • The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats.
  • World Hypertension Day is celebrated on May 17 every year to promote awareness about hypertension and encourage people to prevent and control this silent killer.
• Risk Factors:
  • High-salt diets, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol consumption are significant contributors to hypertension, and genetics are believed to play a role in high blood pressure as well.
• Symptoms:
  • Most people with hypertension don’t feel any symptoms. Very high blood pressure can cause headaches, blurred vision, chest pain and other symptoms.
• Complications of Uncontrolled Hypertension:
  • Severe heart issues, including chest pain, heart attacks, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats, as well as increase the risk of stroke by affecting blood flow to the brain.
• Treatment:
  • Lifestyle changes like adopting a low-salt diet, weight loss, physical activity, and quitting tobacco etc. and medications.
• Initiatives:
  • Global:
    • To achieve the global target to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 25% by 2025, WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Global Hearts Initiative in 2016.
    • The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
  • India:
    • India Hypertension Control Initiative Program (IHCI):
      • Through programmes such as IHCI and the government’s push towards non-communicable disease screening and treatment at the primary healthcare level, India aims to put 75 million patients with hypertension or diabetes on standard care by 2025.