Ever imagined the toll that high blood pressure can have on you? Moreover, high blood pressure means early heart problem and cardiac arrest following it.
Modern life is buzzing with a lot of stress, which gives rise to a vicious circle comprising of strain, high blood pressure, heart attack and kidney failure. This can very surely lead to an epidemic, experts warn. Stakes are that long, stressful working hours and a growing appetite for fatty, salty fast food are putting the health of tens of millions at risk and the scenario might be that more than half of adults could soon have high blood pressure.
Worldwide the toll that high blood pressure has is a whooping seven million a year. And in Britain only the number is 22 millions half of who are adults. Silent killer as it is known would cause a significant proportion of adults to be transformed from workers who benefit the economy into “long-term recipients of social benefits with increased healthcare needs”.
A report, part-authored by the London School of Economics, said unless urgent action was taken, the number of sufferers would soar 60 per cent by 2025.
One of the report’s authors, Dr Panos Kanavos – a lecturer in international health policy at the LSE, said:
Uncontrolled high blood pressure among people in their thirties, forties and fifties will inevitably lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease and stroke that will strike down men and women at the height of their earning power.
But it can be largely controlled by medication and changes in lifestyle like using less salt, eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising more. And moreover, getting the blood pressure checked at regular intervals can be helpful.
The British Heart Foundation said it was important to minimise stress.
Professor Graham MacGregor, of the Blood Pressure Association, said high blood pressure was the primary cause of death and disability in the UK. He added:
High blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking account for 80 per cent of all heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure is totally preventable. There is no need to smoke and high cholesterol can be prevented by stopping eating saturated fats. If everybody in the world did that, we could get rid of strokes and heart disease.
In order to cut the risk of heart ailments, first of all this rising trend of high Blood pressure victims needs to be curtailed. This will itself be a check on most of the cardiovascular problems.
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via:Dailymail