More than a million people under the age of 45 have untreated hypertension, according to an analysis published today.
The under 45s are among four million people who remain untreated, according to the British Heart Foundation.
The Foundation says it bases its estimates on analysis of the national health surveys conducted in England and Scotland in 2017.
The English survey found that 64% of adults were overweight or obese and that 19% of adults had three or more out of five key risk factors.
It found that 12% of men and 11% of women had untreated hypertension. This was many fewer than in 2003 – when 20% of men and 16% of women were found to have untreated hypertension.
It involved just under 8,000 adults, allowing statisticians to project findings across the whole population.
The analysis was released as part of a global initiative called May Measurement Month to encourage screening of blood pressure.
Public Health England said that free NHS Health Checks are available to all adults over the age of 40.
Its national lead for cardiovascular disease prevention Professor Jamie Waterall said: “Diagnosing high blood pressure earlier and managing it in line with NICE guidance will save thousands of lives and prevent years spent in ill-health. That’s why we’ve set national ambitions to improve the detection and management of high blood pressure within the next decade.”
The President of the British and Irish Hypertension Society Professor Francesco Cappuccio, Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Warwick, said: “Over 10 million people die each year globally due to conditions related to hypertension – such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure – but unless hypertension is detected we cannot treat it to prevent these conditions. Screening is cheap and takes only a few minutes to measure someone’s pressure which if raised can be easily treated.
"May Measurement Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of knowing your blood pressure number. Everyone should join in and support this unique initiative."
https://files.digital.nhs.uk/5B/B1297D/HSE%20report%20summary.pdf
Leave a Reply