The World Hypertension League organised a public awareness programme on the need to keep blood pressure (BP) under control to mark World Hypertension Day, which was observed on May 17.
S.N. Narasingan, the league’s vice-president, said the initiative aimed to educate people about the increasing risk of hypertension, which could leading to many heart complications and could even be fatal if left untreated.
He cited a World Health Organisation report for South East Asia, with a focus on India, that said an estimated one in four adults in India had hypertension but only about 12% of them had their BP under control. India has set a target to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 25% by 2025.
A panel of doctors, many of them from government hospitals, said how each organ including the heart, kidney, and the eyes, were affected due to high salt consumption. It is not just about measuring BP, but also about maintaining the equipment and updating it periodically. Taking the measurement the correct way is also important, they added.
All the speakers said it was imperative to reduce salt intake. A person needs only 5 g of salt a day, they said. Whereas in India each person consumes around 11 gm of salt a day.
