The ICMR- INDIAB, a national study based on representative samples from a population of 213 million people has shown large increases in the prevalence of hypertension in urban and rural areas in the country.
The study, conducted in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Chandigarh, found that the prevalence of hypertension was highest in Tamil Nadu at 27.6 per cent, followed by Chandigarh at 25.8 per cent, Maharashtra at 25 per cent and Jharkhand at 23 per cent. While overall, the prevalence of hypertensionwas more in urban areas than in rural areas, it was clear that the rural areas are catching up rather quickly.
The results of the study were published in the recent volume of the Journal of Human Hypertension. The authors found that the prevalence was significantly higher in men than in women in all regions, but Jharkhand. Positive subjects were older, had a greater body mass index and waist circumference, and a significantly higher prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, generalised obesity and diabetes.
“If you look at this, clearly these are all the known risk factors for hypertension,” V. Mohan, one of the authors, who established the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, that is involved in conducting the ICMR-Indiab story. “Since the sampling has been made truly representative of the population in terms of geography, population size, there is definite cause for worry.”
The authors add that with India undergoing economic growth and demographic transition, with increasing urbanisation, the burden is likely to increase further. They have recommended that health care systems should be strengthened for early detection and effective treatment of individuals with hypertension.
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