20 crore Indians had higher blood pressure, and the situation in the southern states was even worse, according to ICMR research

Although it is widely believed that there are many diabetic patients in the nation, more than 20 crore people have been found to have elevated blood pressure, which is startling news. This indicates that 15.90% of people are afflicted with it. Compared to diabetic patients, this number is 50% greater.

This was discovered in the most recent study conducted by the Bangalore-based National Disease Informatics and Research Centre and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The unique aspect is that each state has a different blood pressure situation. In both North and South India, blood pressure is a common problem.

According to the study published in the International Journal of Public Health, the prevalence of ever-measured blood pressure ranged from 30.3% to 98.5% in the population of different districts. This means that there is a possibility of them suffering from pre-hypertension in the future. The council analyzed the medical history of a total of 7,43,067 youth aged 18 to 54 years. These included 87.6% women and 12.4% men.

The results of the ICMR study are said to be similar to the estimates of the National Family Health Survey-5 conducted between 2019 and 2021. It was estimated that 21% of women and 24% of men aged 15 years and above may have high blood pressure. Pre-hypertension is suspected in 39% of women and 49% of men.

Researchers say these findings were found after examining age, gender, education, wealth, lifestyle, obesity and blood sugar. These reflect not only the regional spread of the disease in a diverse country but also the evidence-based need for prevention at the district and state levels.

Center Director Dr. Prashant Mathur said, that at the national level, increased blood pressure level was found in 15.9% of the population. The figure for southern states is 16.8%. This number indicates serious challenges and the need for immediate efforts.