World Hypertension Day was marked today with the slogan Healthy Weight-Healthy Blood Pressure to raise awareness about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension related diseases.

Hypertension or high blood pressure, is developing into a ???silent killer??™. Blood pressure kills seven million people every year. According to World Hypertension League, over 1.5 billion people in the world suffer from hypertension ??” the biggest risk factor for heart diseases, strokes, kidney ailments and diabetes.

Dr Mrigendra Pandey, president of Nepal Hypertension Society asked people to consume less salt and maintain weight. He also urged the government to make medicines cheaper and easily accessible.

The society??™s survey comparing the prevalence of hypertension and risk factors in Bhadrabas community between 1981 and 2006 showed three-fold increase in prevalence of hypertension. Presently, 33.8 per cent adults are in the grip of this disease in Nepal. According to WHO, hypertension might turn into an epidemic by 2025 with one in every five person living with high blood pressure.

Himalayan News Service