Stressful life is seemingly taking its toll on the health of the people in Tirupur industrial cluster as prevalence of hypertension has increased in the last one decade.
“Random studies indicate that 25 per cent of the population over the age of 50 years and around 20 per cent of people below 50 years are having hypertension in Tirupur cluster, which means their diastolic pressure is 90 mmHG (millimeter of mercury) or above and the systolic pressure is above 140 mmHG. This apart, a good chunk of people are in a pre-hypertension state, which means the diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89 mmHG and systolic pressure in the range of 120 mmHG and 139 mmHG,” A. Muruganathan, national president of Hypertension Society of India, a forum of doctors, told The Hindu .
According to him, the prevalence of hypertension among the people above the age of 50 years has risen by almost 10 per cent in the last one decade and that among the people below 50 years showed an increase of almost six per cent in the same period.
“Many of them are not yet aware that hypertension is a silent killer which can trigger organ failure resulting in death. Hypertension may not even show any external symptoms,” reminded J. Ravi, president of Indian Medical Association (Tirupur chapter).
Reasons
On the reasons for increase in hypertension cases, the doctors listed out among others the wrong dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle, increasing stress for businessmen and workers in textile industry due to currency fluctuations, and rising desire to earn more in short period.
Dr. Muruganathan asks people to include lots of fruits and vegetables in the diet, reduce consumption of salt and exercise regularly for controlling the blood pressure.
