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According to the WHO, effective treatment for hypertension might prevent 76 million lives globally by 2050.

The World Health Organization published its first study on the effects of high blood pressure on a worldwide scale on Tuesday.

By Bethel NwabuikePublished 9 months ago 3 min read
According to the WHO, effective treatment for hypertension might prevent 76 million lives globally by 2050.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

CNN In a recent report, the World Health Organization identified high blood pressure as one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide, emphasizing the risky repercussions of the illness.

The World Health Organization's first report on the effects of hypertension, or high blood pressure, on the world offers suggestions for how to stop the "silent killer."

Globally, 1 in 3 persons have hypertension, which is defined as a blood pressure measurement of 140/90 mmHg or greater.

It frequently results in a number of other health issues, such as renal damage, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.

The WHO director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated in a news release that "only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it.

Hypertension can be effectively controlled with simple, low-cost medication regimens."

According to WHO, high-performing nations such as Canada and South Korea have implemented comprehensive national hypertension treatment programs, and both have reached the 50% threshold for blood pressure control in individuals with hypertension.

According to the WHO, if more people received adequate treatment for hypertension at the rates seen in high-performing nations, 76 million fatalities might be avoided between 2023 and 2030.

According to the survey, these preventative strategies include following a nutritious diet, keeping a healthy weight, abstaining from alcohol and cigarette use, and engaging in regular exercise. According to the report, these tactics should be used in certain contexts like workplaces and schools to further encourage leading healthy lifestyles.

A different strategy is to consume less sodium each day.

According to Michael Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York and the WHO's global ambassador for noncommunicable diseases and injuries, "most heart attacks and strokes in the world today can be prevented with affordable, safe, accessible medicines and other interventions, such as sodium reduction."

The WHO advises less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, while recommendations vary from country to country. According to the organization, the average daily salt consumption around the world is 10.8 grams, more than double that amount.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise against exceeding a daily salt consumption of 2,300 mg. The average daily sodium intake in America is over 3,400 mg.

Only 5% of the 194 WHO member nations had implemented comprehensive sodium-reduction plans, according to a report that was published this year. In 2013, all 194 WHO member nations agreed to reduce sodium intake by 30% by 2025.

The report gave the United States a score of 3 out of 4 for having at least one required sodium regulation and a sodium declaration on pre-packaged foods.

In the US, 32% of persons between the ages of 30 and 79 have hypertension.

According to the analysis, if the illness is adequately managed, up to 1.2 million US fatalities might be avoided by 2040.

But 693,000 more hypertensive patients would need to receive adequate treatment before the country could reach a 50% control rate.

According to Dr. Tom Frieden, founder and CEO of the charity Resolve to Save Lives and a former director of the CDC, over 1,000 individuals die from heart attacks and strokes every hour.

High blood pressure is the primary factor in the majority of these deaths, and most of them might have been avoided.

WHO also stated that the expenses associated with hypertension and its effects are "enormous" for patients, healthcare systems, and country economies worldwide.

Good hypertension treatment is accessible, inexpensive, and supports primary healthcare, according to Frieden. To go from "within reach" to "reached" is the current problem. Governments from all over the world will need to commit to this.

In Conclusion, Hypertension can be prevented if you follow the steps which include taking care of health. It's also reversible if you take the right medication.

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    BNWritten by Bethel Nwabuike

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