Hypertension: a ticking time bomb in Indian adolescents

Subject :Science and Technology

Hypertension-

Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body’s arteries, the major blood vessels in the body.
Hypertension is when blood pressure is too high.
It is defined as having systolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 90 mmHg or/and taking anti-hypertensive medication to lower his/her blood pressure.

India Hypertension control initiative (IHCI)-

The programme was launched in November 2017.
In the first year, IHCI covered 26 districts across five States — Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
By December 2020, IHCI was expanded to 52 districts across ten States — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.
The Health Ministry, the Indian Council of Medical Research, State Governments, and WHO-India began a five-year initiative to monitor and treat hypertension.
India has committed to a “25 by 25” goal.
- The goal aims to reduce premature mortality due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025.
- One of the nine voluntary targets includes reducing the prevalence of high blood pressure by 25% by 2025.

Findings-

Greater prevalence of hypertension in adolescents
High blood pressure is relatively silent, with grave consequences, as it is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke.
35% children aged 10-12 years and 25% of children above 13 years have hypertension.
As per the Indian national Health Portal Data, 30% of adults have elevated blood pressure– 35% in Urban areas and 28% in rural areas.
The study dispels the notion that hypertension is associated with affluence and will not occur in undernourished children.
Elevated blood pressure is more prevalent in poorer than the richest category. It also occurs with similar frequency in rural and urban areas.
High blood pressure prevalence in younger stunted adolescents is 40% compared to 34% in those not stunted.
Hypertension prevelence in thin/underweight adolescents is also high- 32% in younger and 22% in older adolescents.
Higher prevalence of high blood pressure in rural areas may be due to rapid urbanisation- a lower level of physical activity.
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and nagaland have higher hypertension prevalence (over 35%) compared with the rest of India.