At the initiative of the World League Against Hypertension, World Hypertension Day is celebrated annually on May 17th.
The World Hypertension League, WHL, held this event for the first time on May 14, 2005 with the participation of representatives from 24 countries, under the slogan “Know your blood pressure.” Under the same motto, this day is celebrated in the years 2013-2018. But in 2021 and this year, this day is commemorated under the motto “Measure your blood pressure accurately and control it to live longer”.
The purpose of today’s commemoration is to inform as many people as possible about the risks of high blood pressure and the complications it causes, as well as to clarify how it can be prevented and treated.
High blood pressure is a serious condition that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular, brain, kidney and other diseases. And blood pressure is the pressure of blood in the walls of the arteries. This pressure level is determined by two indicators. The first (systolic pressure) is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart muscle contracts, and the second (diastolic pressure) is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is at rest between two contractions.
The blood pressure level is considered high if the systolic pressure index on two different days is equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg, and the diastolic pressure is equal to or greater than 90 mm Hg.
High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because many are unaware of its severity, as it is often asymptomatic. But it can present itself as a morning headache, nosebleeds, heart rhythm disturbances, ringing in the ears, and blurred vision. When it is too high, it causes general weakness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, internal tension, chest pain, and chills.
High blood pressure kills 28,000 people worldwide every day. And risk factors for high blood pressure that can be controlled: unhealthy diet, excessive salt intake, foods high in saturated and trans fats, low consumption of vegetables and fruits, smoking and alcohol consumption, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
There are other uncontrollable factors: having a close relative with high blood pressure, over 65, kidney disease, and diabetes.
According to statistics, the number of people suffering from high blood pressure in the world has increased over 30 years (1990-2019) from 650 million to 1 billion and 28 million, of which 720 million have not received the necessary treatment. The lowest rates of high blood pressure were recorded in Switzerland, Peru, and Eritrea. The highest rates are found in Paraguay, Hungary and Tuvalu.
Source: RIA Novosti
Source: Arabic RT
