Incidence of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, and its related complications is causing a concern in Tirupur.
A. Muruganathan, national president of Association of Physicians’ of India (API), says that almost one of every four persons over the age of 30 years and half of the population aged over 50 years have hypertension in this region. “Even among the non-hypertension persons, one out of every three people over the age of 30 years are in the pre-hypertension stage,” he says adding that if left uncontrolled, the pre-hypertension cases may turn into hypertension. Doctors caution that all statistics available are only a tip of an ice-berg, as many people have not checked the blood pressure at all since they did not notice some symptoms.
Citing stressful lifestyle in Tirupur industrial cluster as main reason for high prevalence of hypertension, Indian Medical Association (Tirupur branch) president J. Ravi says that people with hypertension should reduce the intake of salt, restrict the diet and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Avoiding alcohol, performing meditation and restriction in diet can prevent hypertension, according to the doctors.