World Hypertension Day: Level up Your Awareness not BP

World Hypertension Day is celebrated every year on May 17th aiming to educate people and raise the level of awareness of hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure. 

Hypertension is among one of the major causes of a varied range of health problems like heart attacks, strokes and kidney-related illnesses. It may also lead to the development of dementia. Hypertension is known as a silent killer as it has no specific symptoms, and most suffering from it are not aware till they suffer from a heart attack or a stroke.

World Hypertension Day is organised by the World Hypertension League (WHL), a global non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation aiming to prevent and control hypertension on a global basis. The World Hypertension League is an umbrella organisation made up of 80 national hypertension societies with regional offices in North America, South America, South East Asia, China, the Middle East, the South Pacific, Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The World Hypertension League has declared “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer” as the World Hypertension Day theme for 2024. The objective is to promote higher levels of awareness of high blood pressure and accurate measurement of blood pressure aiming to control Non Communicable Diseases (NCBs) caused by hypertension, especially in the low and middle-income groups.

Understanding Hypertension

Your blood pressure is measured in units of millimetres of mercury (mmHg). An ideal blood pressure reading is around 120/80 mmHg. 

The exact reason you suffer from hypertension is usually unknown, but it is triggered by various reasons such as your genetics, particular medical conditions and age. It is a lifestyle disease caused by a sedentary life with no or little exercise, unhealthy eating habits, bad habits like smoking, alcohol consumption etc.

Stages of Hypertension

When your blood pressure readings are consistently getting recorded within certain ranges, you are considered to be suffering from hypertension:

• Stage 1 : 130 – 139 / 85 – 89 mmHg
• Stage 2 : 140 – 159 / 90 – 99 mmHg
• Hypertensive Crisis : Above 180 / 110 mmHg, requiring medical attention immediately

Awareness of hypertension should lead to immediate medical consultation to understand your risk of it further and control it.

Hypertension: Risks and Complications

If you are suffering from uncontrolled hypertension, you run the significant risk of developing serious health problems. Some of these are listed below:

• Heart disease and heart attack
• Stroke is caused by a blocked or ruptured artery in the brain
• Kidney diseases and failure
• Aneurysm or weakness in the wall of a blood vessel
• Loss of vision
• Dementia or loss of at least two functions of the brain interfering in your daily functioning

All these complications are potentially life-threatening, giving even more importance to detecting and managing hypertension early and effectively.

Symptoms of Hypertension

The majority of people suffering from hypertension do not notice any symptoms. Hypertension is known as a silent killer. The following extremely disturbing statistics emerge from the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2023 Global report on hypertension:

1. Percentage of adults with hypertension who are diagnosed to be suffering from it: 54 percent
2. Percentage receiving treatment: 42 percent
3. Percentage having their hypertension controlled: 21 percent

The same report states that the number of adults with hypertension in the South East Asia region of the World Health Organisation, comprising countries like India, Nepal, Thailand and Indonesia, increased from 29 per cent to 32 per cent in 2019 as compared to 1990. The importance of World Hypertension Day in these regions cannot be undermined.

Some potential symptoms of hypertension which you need to be aware of are as mentioned below:

• Headaches
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Blood in your urine

How to Manage Hypertension?

High blood pressure cannot be cured permanently or reversed. However, the good news is that you can manage the level of your hypertension by taking steps to make changes in your lifestyle and by taking medicines if your doctor prescribes them.

The main ways in which you may control your blood pressure levels include:

• Healthy Diet: You need to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You need to cut down on and avoid eating salt, food containing saturated fats and processed foods.
• Regular Exercise: You need to exercise regularly. The bare minimum is a total of 150 minutes of exercise per week at moderate intensity levels.
• Maintenance of Healthy Weight Levels: You may be able to reduce your blood pressure levels by reducing weight if you are overweight or obese. Maintaining a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m2 is ideal for keeping your hypertension at manageable levels. Body Mass Index (BMI) is your weight in Kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. 
• Limiting Alcohol and Smoking: The habit of excessive drinking and smoking result in an increase in your blood pressure. Your blood pressure levels drop as early as 20 minutes after you quit smoking.
• Managing Stress: Practice techniques to manage your stress levels. Meditation, yoga and deep breathing can  help lower your levels of hypertension. 
• Taking Medication Regularly: If your doctor has prescribed medicines, you need to take them regularly to allow them to work properly and maintain your blood pressure at optimal levels. 

The following are the types of medicines usually prescribed for controlling high blood pressure:

• Diuretics 
• Beta-blockers
• ACE inhibitors
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Alpha-blockers
• Alpha-2 receptor agonists
• Combined alpha and beta blockers
• Vasodilators

How Can You Detect Hypertension Early and Prevent It?

You need to follow these steps to be able to detect hypertension early and prevent it from affecting you:

• You need to monitor your blood pressure levels on a regular basis. This is even more important to those who are genetically or otherwise at higher risk levels. This is a crucial factor in detecting hypertension early and being able to intervene in time.
• You need to know the potential risk factors and adjust your lifestyle accordingly to ensure that you reduce the risk levels for the development of hypertension.

Manage Hypertension-related Treatment Expenses with Care Health Insurance

If remain untreated, hypertension can lead serious health conditions including heart attack or kidney failure that involves expensive course of treatment. Without a financial back-up one may end up wiping off his/her lifetime savings. Here comes Care Health Insurance into the picture. Some of or policies cover hypertension as a pre-existing disease with a normal waiting period of 48 months in its policies like Care Supreme, Care Advantage and Care Senior Citizen. The waiting period is 24 months in the case of the policy called Care Heart.

You may also purchase optional add-on benefits to reduce the waiting period. With Care Supreme Instant Cover add-on, get coverage for hypertension-related expenses after 30 days waiting period. On the other hand, Care Advantage comes with an optional benefit called Modification of PED Wait Period, where you can reduce the waiting period to 1, 2 or 3 years as opted by you. 

In a Nutshell! 

Hypertension is a serious condition and can be life-threatening if  leaving untreated. However, it is manageable. Once you understand the risks it poses, the symptoms and the ways to manage it, you are in a position to control the further complications. To this effect, the World Hypertension Day theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer”, acquires additional significance, and thus World Hypertension Day importance increases manifold.

>> Also Read: Symptoms and Prevention Tips for High Blood Pressure

Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.