WHO: "1 in 3 Adults Has Hypertension... Doubled in 20 Years"

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the number of hypertension patients worldwide has doubled in the past 20 years, with one in three adults experiencing the condition.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), WHO stated in a report, "Between 1990 and 2019, the number of hypertension patients with systolic blood pressure of 140mmHg or higher, diastolic blood pressure of 90mmHg or higher, or those taking medication increased from 650 million to 1.3 billion, doubling in number."

The report described hypertension as a "common yet deadly" disease that currently affects one in three adults worldwide and causes health problems such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney damage.

More than three-quarters of hypertension patients live in low- and middle-income countries, and about half of the global patients are unaware of their health condition.

It also pointed out that only about one in five patients manage their condition through medication or other therapies, noting that "hypertension management programs in various countries still rank low in health policy priorities."

WHO emphasized that hypertension is a disease that can be controlled with proper management at primary healthcare facilities combined with medication, and that positive changes can be achieved if countries provide universal healthcare services and treatment programs.

As examples, the report cited South Korea and Canada. It stated, "Both countries offer comprehensive national-level hypertension treatment programs, and both have achieved blood pressure control rates exceeding 50% among adult hypertension patients," adding, "Continuous and systematic national management programs can succeed."