Health
HYPERTENSION – ARE YOU DUE FOR A
CHECK-UP?
H
ypertension (High Blood
Pressure) is a driving force
in the global epidemic of
noncommunicable diseases
(NCD) and a leading risk factor for
death and disability globally. In 2002,
the World Health Organisation (WHO)
named hypertension as ‘the number
one killer’ in ‘The World Health Report’.
May 17 has been named as World
Hypertension Day, to heighten the
awareness and fight against the silent
killer.
What is Hypertension?
This is a commonly occurring, but
dangerous condition, in which, the
force of your blood pushing against
the walls of your blood vessels – the
arteries, remains consistently high,
that it may eventually cause damage
to tissues and vital organs, resulting in
health complications.
Normal blood pressure is 120/
80mmHg, with hypertension being
higher than 130/80mmHg.
Why is hypertension
awareness important?
Hypertension, often referred to as the
‘silent killer’, has no obvious symptoms
to indicate that something is wrong.
As a result, it’s possible for someone,
without regular medical checkups, to
continue functioning, for a while, with
Hypertension, while it ravages your
body for years, before it’s devastating
effects finally become noticeable