One in Every Five Adults Suffers from Hypertension
One in Every Five Adults Suffer from Hypertension, Awareness and Treatment Services need to be Beefed Up – Public Health Experts at Journalists’ Workshop.
One in every five (21%) adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension. Half of the women (51%) and two thirds of men (67%) with hypertension do not know they have high blood pressure. Mass awareness, affordability of medications and treatment services in this regard need to be ensured.
Hypertension causes increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and related mortality in manifolds. Public health experts shared such information at two consecutive two-day long workshops for journalists titled “Hypertension and Heart Health” held at the conference room of Bangladesh Institute of Planners during 28-31 March 2022. The workshops were organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with the support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Fifty-one journalists heralding from print, television, and online media houses participated at the workshops.
When blood pressure increases to higher levels than usual levels then it is called high blood pressure or hypertension. Hypertension is diagnosed if, when this blood pressure is measured on two different days and the blood pressure readings on both days are ≥140/90 mmHg. However, blood pressure could be more or even less depending on various age groups. In many cases, there are no specific warning signs or symptoms of hypertension. However, in some cases of hypertension, symptoms like morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears may occur. Untreated hypertension can give way to chest pain or angina, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, as well as stroke. In addition, hypertension can cause kidney damage.
Referring to ‘Bangladesh NCD Steps Survey, 2018’, it was told at the workshop that less than one in every seven people has been able to keep their condition under control by taking medications. According to the data of Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, hypertension is one of the three major reasons for death and disability in Bangladesh. Only 29% of health service centers have trained workers.
The workshop informed that hypertension control has been prioritized in a number of government policies and plans in Bangladesh but lacks any nationwide program. Following global targets for preventing non-communicable diseases, the government has set a national target of 25% relative reduction of raised blood pressure prevalence by 2025. Hence, mass awareness must be created around properly measuring hypertension, its treatment, and risks of hypertension-related cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases. Government must increase budget allocations to ensure hypertension treatment and availability of medications at all hospitals and primary health care facilities. In addition to that, everyone must be made aware of adoption of a healthy lifestyle to prevent hypertension, i.e.: avoid intake of excessive salt, abstain from foods laden with trans fats, abstain from use of tobacco and alcohol, reduce excessive body weight or obesity, and keep physically active. Alarmingly, more than 10 million people die each year from hypertension which is more than all communicable diseases combined.
As discussants, Syed Mojibul Huq, Additional Secretary, Health Service Division; Prof. Dr. Mohammad Robed Amin, Line Director of NCDC Program, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of Department of Epidemiology & Research, National Heart Foundation; Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq, National Professional Officer (NCD), World Health Organization Bangladesh; Dr. Md. Khalequzzaman, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health and Informatics at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU); Professor Dr. Malay Kanti Mridha, Director of Center for Non-Communicable Disease and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health; Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead, GHAI; Zahirul Alam, Head of News and Current Affairs, NTV and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA were present at the workshops.