80% of People with Hypertension Receive Inadequate Treatment

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report on the global impact of high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. Data from the report revealed that approximately 80% of patients with hypertension are not receiving adequate care.

According to the report, hypertension is often referred to as a silent killer as a leading risk factor for death and disability globally. In 1990, approximately 650 million individuals worldwide were living with hypertension. By 2019, that number had dramatically increased to 1.3 billion. The WHO press release estimates that one-third of adults worldwide have hypertension.

Treatment for hypertension typically involves making lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthier diet, smoking cessation, and being physically active. For some patients, treatment may also involve some medications.

Despite the availability of evidence-based treatment and prevention protocols, hypertension rates and unmanaged conditions continue to rise. According to the WHO press release, nearly half of all people with high blood pressure are unaware they have the disease, meaning they are not making the appropriate changes to manage the condition.

“Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, WHO Director-General, in the press release. “Hypertension control programs remain neglected, under-prioritized, and vastly underfunded. Strengthening hypertension control must be part of every country’s journey toward universal health coverage, based on well-functioning, equitable, and resilient health systems, built on a foundation of primary healthcare.”

Left untreated, hypertension has been known to cause stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, and multiple other life-threatening conditions.

“Most heart attacks and strokes in the world today can be prevented with affordable, safe, accessible medicines and other interventions, such as sodium reduction,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Treating hypertension through primary health care will save lives while also saving billions of dollars a year.”

The WHO estimates that increasing the number of patients being treated for hypertension could significantly reduce the morbidities and mortalities linked to the condition. By 2050, managed hypertension could prevent 76 million deaths, 120 million strokes, 79 million heart attacks, and 17 million cases of heart failure.

“Every hour, more than 1,000 people die from strokes and heart attacks. Most of these deaths are caused by high blood pressure, and most could have been prevented,” said Tom Frieden, MD, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives. “Good hypertension care is affordable, within reach, and strengthens primary health care. The challenge now is to go from ‘within reach’ to ‘reached.’ This will require commitment of governments around the world.”