3 of 4 high pressure patients not under treatment cover, say docs

Kolkata: At least three out of four hypertension patients across the world, including Kolkata, don't seek treatment for the condition, said experts on the eve of World Hypertension Day on Saturday.To be precise, at least 50% of hypertension patients are not aware of their condition.Not just that, experts claimed that only 25% patients take medicine for hypertension. This has led to a proliferation of hypertension patients, triggering an increase in cardiac and neurological ailments, especially among young people, said experts.Regular blood pressure checks are mandatory since undetected hypertension could be fatal, pointed out BM Birla Heart Hospital interventional cardiologist Anjan Siotia. "It is a silent killer since it has no symptoms and is a chronic condition as well. So, most tend to ignore it," said Siotia. He added that ignoring hypertension increases the risk of brain strokes, heart attacks, and kidney diseases, which are on the rise among relatively young patients. "Only half of those on medication have controlled high blood pressure since they tend to be irregular or stop taking the medicines once their blood pressure turns normal," added Siotia. He noted that worldwide, only 12% have controlled blood pressure through medication. The theme for World Hypertension Day 2025 is "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer." "Monitor the blood pressure every ten days in case you are hypertensive. Ideally, you should not take any beverages like tea or coffee within an hour, should be relaxed and stress-free. Make sure to take medicines and screen regularly. If you have a family history of hypertension, then the chances of you developing it would be higher," said internal medicine consultant, Arindam Biswas, who also emphasized the need to alter lifestyle and diet to check hypertension.Check your pressure once a month and at home, said Siotia. Around 40% of the adult Bengal population were at risk of being struck by cardiovascular diseases due to faulty monitoring of blood pressure, according to a nationwide study conducted by a pharmaceutical company. It pointed out that while 22.5% suffered from white-coat hypertension that could be detected only in a clinical setting, 17.3% had masked hypertension or higher than normal blood pressure at home. Both groups were vulnerable to cardiac arrests, brain strokes, and risked damage to vital organs through a range of ailments triggered by fluctuating blood pressure that remained undetected and untreated. High blood pressure places constant strain on the heart, said Abhijit Aich Bhaumik, consultant cardiologist at BP Poddar Hospital.