World Hypertension Day 2024

May 17 is World Hypertension Day, and the theme for 2024 is 'Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.’  

 “Early detection and control are crucial. Amongst adults with hypertension, half are unaware they have it, and nearly 1 in 6 do not have their blood pressure under control. Uncontrolled, it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and early death.” 

- Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia 

According to the NHS (UK National Health Service), hypertension (high blood pressure) increases the risk of several serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions. This is due to the increased strain hypertension has not only on the blood vessels and the heart but other organs as well. 

To find out more about cardiovascular disease read the article on LinkedIn our interns Phil & Ryan wrote: The Road Towards a Heart-Healthy Future | LinkedIn 

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists hypertension as the leading metabolic risk factor for NCDs (non-communicable diseases). This is backed up by the data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) produced by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) through the Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. In terms of attributable deaths globally, there are more linked to hypertension than to obesity, hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar), or hyperlipidaemia (cholesterol).  

Read the WHO Global report on hypertension: the race against a silent killer (who.int) 

One of the NCDs untreated hypertension can cause is chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD affects over 700 million individuals worldwide (10-13% of the population).

In the blog our Teaching Fellow, Celine Tabche, wrote for World Kidney Day, she highlights the importance of developing sustainable and affordable healthcare infrastructure for hypertension, CKD, and other NCDs.  

“Interventions that target diabetes, hypertension, and CKD will improve clinical and societal outcomes.” 

To find out more about the global burden of disease from CKD read Celine’s blog: 

Globally, Chronic Kidney Disease is on the rise! – Imperial WHO College Collaborating Centre (imperialwhocc.org)  

Someone with first-hand experience of the burden of CKD is one of our fellows, Dr Fakhriya Al Rashdi. A family physician from Oman, it was treating patients with CKD that motivated her to want to systematically review CKD management strategies during her fellowship. The research she is undertaking will critically appraise the available evidence on the effectiveness of hypertension prevention in CKD patients in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Her goal is to publish her research findings and provide scientific evidence that will support the implementation of measures to reduce the burden of CKD in her community.  

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 Written by: Rachel Barker

Reviewed by: Celine Tabche