Policy makers and healthcare professionals should focus on preventive healthcare strategy so as to control hypertension and heart related disease in future, opines Dr C Venkata S Ram, in charge, Apollo Institute of BP Management, Hyderabad.

Particularly, managing blood pressure (BP) is the key to curb cardiovascular diseases among adults.  “With more than 25 per cent adult population vulnerable to develop hypertension and cardiovascular related diseases in both rural and urban India, it is high time that people learn to manage their BP regularly and thereby avoid being hit by heart diseases,” said Dr Ram.

According to Dr Ram, the Indian healthcare will suffer heavily if the government doesn’t take proper steps to manage high blood pressure (BP) also known as “hypertension”. Commenting on the eve of world hypertension day on 17th May 2014, Dr Ram expressed his serious concern that unless we act quickly to curb the menace of hypertension, India will face widespread cardiovascular disease which will impact the country negatively on various national and international fronts.

High BP affects nearly 22-25 per cent of the adults in this country. Both men and women are equally vulnerable to develop hypertension not merely in the cities but also in the rural areas. According to Dr Ram, hypertension is more common than diabetes in our society. While India is known as diabetes capital of the world, Dr Ram lamented that it is high blood pressure which is more common than diabetes.

Hypertension causes heart attacks, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke, paralysis, loss of memory, and impairs circulation. Controlling the BP can prevent all these complications. People must get their BP checked and if it is high, it should be made normal; otherwise, high blood pressure causes disease, disability, and death.

Hypertension is endemic in India, more than diabetes. People who have diabetes and high cholesterol are at a high risk of having high blood pressure. People who are overweight, inactive or those who snore heavily also have a high danger of developing hypertension.

In view of this, policy makers and healthcare professionals alike should institute preventive measures and therapeutic strategies at the community level at the earliest, advised the doctor.