High salt intake: A key driver of hypertension
High salt in your diet in one of the major risk factors for high blood pressure, says Dr. Anurag Gupta
Hypertension has been labeled the “largest epidemic ever known to mankind”, leading to over 10 million deaths every year. Of the estimated 1.13 billion people who have hypertension, fewer than 1 in 5 have it under control.
India is witnessing escalating incidence of hypertension. Recent estimates from a study revealed that approximately 25.3 percent of the Indian population suffers from hypertension. As an estimate, in India, about 16% of ischemic heart disease, 21% of peripheral vascular disease, 24% of acute myocardial infarctions, and 29% of strokes are attributed to hypertension.
Several risk factors contribute to the high prevalence of high blood pressure-genetics, aging, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, overweight, sedentary and stressful lifestyle, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Rising blood pressure is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness. If not reversed, it will impact human resource pool and will be an instant setback to the economy and national productivity.
It is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion adults across the globe will have hypertension in the decade ahead. India stands to benefit immensely if it seizes every moment to disarm the onset and progression of hypertension mediated cardiovascular diseases.
