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World Hypertension Day 2023: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer

  • Writer: Polelo Mawela
    Polelo Mawela
  • May 17, 2023
  • 3 min read



With the theme “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer” the aim of World Hypertension Day for 2023 is to increase awareness and accurate blood pressure methods (WHL, 2023). World Hypertension Day was first observed in May 2005, as a joint initiative by the World Hypertension League (WHL) and the International Society of Hypertension (ISH). The first observance of World Hypertension Day was held on May 14, 2005, and since then, it has been celebrated annually on May 17th. The theme for World Hypertension Day varies each year, with the overarching goal of raising awareness about hypertension and it's impact on public health.

Hypertension is defined by an average systolic BP (SBP) ≥ 140 mm Hg, and a diastolic BP (DBP) ≥ 90 mm Hg (Owolabi et al., 2023). The main preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and disability worldwide is hypertension. Hypertension has a significant social impact in low- and middle-income countries, increasing the disease burden and financial load on national health systems (Parati, 2022). The most significant overall risk factor for diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, which are the main causes of death, is high blood pressure (BP). According to estimates, more people died from complications of high blood pressure (BP) in 2019 than from all infectious diseases combined (10.8 million) (Owolabi et al., 2023).


Two-thirds of all adults living with high BP, reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (WHO, 2014). There hasn't been much advancement in Africa's detection, management, and control of hypertension over the previous thirty years. The number of adults with hypertension is expected to rise to 1.56 billion by 2025, up roughly 60%, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing a disproportionate increase (Owolabi et al.,2023). In addition to pharmacological treatments, it is recommended that lifestyle changes in terms of diet and physical activity be undertaken to manage hypertension (Valenzuela et al., 2021) Co-infection with as diabetes poses an additional challenge to the management of hypertension (Jia and Sowers, 2021).


The coexistence of hypertension and diabetes can have a significant impact on an individual's health. The relationship between hypertension and diabetes is bidirectional, meaning that having one condition increases the risk of developing the other. Epidemiological studies have documented that insulin resistance and diabetes not only constitute metabolic abnormalities but also predispose to hypertension, vascular stiffness, and associated cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, excessive arterial stiffness and impaired vasorelaxation, in turn, contribute to worsening insulin resistance and the development of diabetes ( Jia & Sowers, 2021).


Successful management of hypertension is dependent on accurate diagnosis thereof (Brouwers, Sudano & Kokubo, 2021). Blood pressure readings that are accurate and trustworthy are crucial for identifying hypertension. Because internal and external stimuli both affect blood pressure constantly, standardization is necessary for a reliable measurement. Unfortunately, despite efforts at education and measuring process simplification, the issue of unstandardized measurements has persisted for decades. The widespread use of unreliable blood pressure measures continues to undermine efforts made in the management of hypertension (Brouwers, Sudano & Kokubo, 2021). As such the focus on the accuracy of blood pressure measures is a great step towards reducing the burden of hypertension and ultimately as part of the theme for 2023 says; live longer!


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Writer: Hlengiwe Selowa



Reference

  1. Brouwers, S., Sudano, I., Kokubo, Y., & Sulaica, E. M. (2021). Arterial hypertension. The Lancet, 398(10296), 249-261.

  2. Jia, G., & Sowers, J. R. (2021). Hypertension in diabetes: an update of basic mechanisms and clinical disease. Hypertension, 78(5), 1197-1205.

  3. Owolabi, M., Olowoyo, P., Mocumbi, A., Ogah, O. S., Odili, A., Wahab, K., ... & Zhang, X. H. (2023). African Control of Hypertension through Innovative Epidemiology and a Vibrant Ecosystem (ACHIEVE): novel strategies for accelerating hypertension control in Africa. Journal of Human Hypertension, 1-9.

  4. Parati, G., Lackland, D. T., Campbell, N. R., Ojo Owolabi, M., Bavuma, C., Mamoun Beheiry, H.World Hypertension League. (2022). How to Improve Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Africa, and How to Reduce Its Consequences: A Call to Action From the World Hypertension League. Hypertension, 79(9), 1949-1961.

  5. Valenzuela, P. L., Carrera-Bastos, P., Gálvez, B. G., Ruiz-Hurtado, G., Ordovas, J. M., Ruilope, L. M., & Lucia, A. (2021). Lifestyle interventions for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 18(4), 251-275.

  6. World Hypertension League .(2023). World hypertension Day. www.whleague.org

  7. World Health Organization .(2014). Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2014: World Health Organization.

 
 
 

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