Get hyper for a healthy lifestyle

Hypertension can lead to death. Changing one's lifestyle is the only way to avoid hypertension Every year World Health Day is observed on April 7. This year the theme is 'Preventing Hypertension.' The theme could not have come up at a better time than this as hypertension has become a common phenomenon. Modern day lifestyle and urbanisation are the two main reasons cited for the abnormal increase of hypertension among people. As per World Health Organization, HBP (High Blood Pressure) affects every third person above the age of 18. The proportion increases with age, from 1 in 10 people in their 20s and 30s, 5 in 10 people in their 50s. Public Health experts estimate that the number of patients in India with high blood pressure is likely to rise from about 140 million in 2008 to nearly 215 million by 2030. Besides hypertension, the risk of complications arising out of HBP such as heart attacks, strokes including kidney disease and other serious illnesses are also intensive simultaneously. Fast food culture, consumption of processed foods, consumption of excessive salt, sedentary lifestyle, use of tobacco and alcohol are the reasons for the high prevalence rate of non communicable diseases such as hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and strokes, obesity and heart attacks etc. Hypertension cases have increased among youth in Hyderabad. As everybody knows Hyderabad is the capital of diabetes, naturally the incidence of hypertension patients is high. According to some surveys conducted in our state, hypertension cases are recorded inA A rural youth also.A Meantime we cannot ignore the link that exists between diabetes and hypertension. Speaking on this Dr Ramayogaiah told "Today Hypertension is the most important public health problem. It is mostly asymptomatic, readily detectable and usually easily treatable and often leads to lethal complications if left untreated. Hypertension causes permanent changes in blood vessels and heart. It is silent killer. Life style modifications are essential in prevention as well as management. Losing over weight, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, increasing aerobic physical activities, reducing consumption of salt, avoidingA A A tobacco in any formA and eating high fiber , low-fat diet are key life style modifications". "The incidence of high blood pressure ranges from 20 to 39 per cent in urban areas and 12 to 17 per cent in rural areas" said Dr Sailesh Mohan, Senior Research Scientist and Associate professor, Public Health Foundation of India. The most worrisome thing is significant chunk of population in our country is not aware that they were suffering from high blood pressure. In many cases only when a person suffers a heart attack or stroke he/she realizes that there is a problem.