According to a study in medical journal The Lancet for 2016-20, over 75% of patients in India detected with hypertension and don’t have it under control. The study strengthens uncontrolled BP as a significant contributor to mortality. It follows the Centre’s 2019-20 National Family Health Survey that reported a hypertension prevalence of 24% in men and 21% in women, an increase from 19% and 17% over the 2015-16 survey.
Patients with readings of systolic <140 mmHG and diastolic <90 mmHG are defined as those with hypertension under control. Hypertension control rate is defined as the proportion of patients with BP under control.
A study from Government Medical College, Tiruvananthapuram states, “It is estimated that at least one in four adults in India has hypertension. Uncontrolled blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and is globally the most common cause of death. CVDs are responsible for one-third of total deaths in India. In other words, hypertension kills more adults than any other cause.”
It is included in the Lancet studies that 41% of studies reported poorer BP control rates among males than females, and 12% poorer rates among rural patients. The combined control rate in India in 2001-20 was 18%, with significant raise over the years, reaching 23% in 2016-20. The study indicated significantly better control rates in the south and west, and considerably poorer rates among males.