46% of adults over 18 suffer from high blood pressure in Pakistan: experts

Health experts revealed that 46% of adults over the age of 18 are suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure in Pakistan.

The main causes of high blood pressure in young people are a sedentary lifestyle, excessive consumption of processed food, and a lack of exercise. Smoking and online gaming addiction are also contributing factors.

Health experts associated with five medical societies said that about 18% of the youth over 15 years of age in Pakistan cope with high blood pressure.

The consequences of uncontrolled hypertension are dire. Young adults are increasingly falling victim to heart attacks and strokes due to blood pressure complications. 

Vision impairment and kidney failure rates have also seen an alarming increase.

Pakistan needs 1.5 million dialysis machines to meet the needs of patients suffering from kidney failure. 

A local pharmaceutical company has launched a project called "Discovering Hypertension."

This initiative aims to screen one million people across Pakistan for high blood pressure within a year. Blood pressure screenings will be available at 500 designated locations nationwide.

The program will identify those diagnosed with hypertension and connect them with 100 dedicated clinics across the country.

High blood pressure is often called the "silent killer" because most people with it experience no symptoms. However, very high blood pressure can cause headaches, blurred vision, and chest pain.

The only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked regularly. Untreated hypertension increases the risk of serious health problems like kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke.

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

“An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries,” as per 2023 stats published by WHO.