WHO Report on Hypertension Reveals Alarming Global Trends

The WHO’s first global hypertension report captures the widespread impact of high blood pressure among adults. It also offers recommendations for improvement. The report details the far-reaching costs, both health and economic, associated with uncontrolled hypertension.  

Risks, Costs & Uncontrolled Hypertension 

The WHO report notes that:  

• The number of adults living with hypertension has doubled in the past 30 years, jumping from 650 million to 1.3 billion. 
• Only 1 in 5 adults with hypertension is effectively managing it.

Hypertension can increase one’s risk of mortality due to comorbidities such as kidney disease or cardiovascular disease. In fact, high blood pressure is the leading risk of early death worldwide. About 10.8 million deaths, recent research estimates, could be avoided each year.  

Proposed Solutions  

Some of the WHO’s primary recommendations for managing hypertension include lifestyle changes.  These might include regular physical activity and eating a healthy diet that’s low in sodium. 

Persuading the sizeable global patient population to implement these changes, however, can be difficult. National policies and programs are essential to encourage patients toward improved global cardiovascular health.  

As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, explained, “Strengthening hypertension control must be part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage.” Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the need for “well-functioning, equitable and resilient health systems” and noted that hypertension control programs are too often “neglected, under-prioritized and vastly underfunded.” 

To address the ever-increasing burden of hypertension, national leaders across the globe must develop proactive measures to address risk factors for hypertension and ensure steady progress towards improved national cardiovascular health.  

By prioritizing greater awareness and improved hypertension care, policymakers and stakeholders can work together towards heart-healthier communities.