Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest single contributing risk factor to altered global health ( WHO 2023), being one of the world’s leading risk factors for death and disability. The number of people living with hypertension doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion, with the global age-standardised prevalence of hypertension in adults being 32% in women and 34% in men in 2019. This common, deadly condition is an important public health problem that leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and many other health problems. In particular, high systolic blood pressure was the single most important risk factor for early death worldwide, leading to an estimated 10.8 million avoidable deaths every year, and a burden of 235 million years of life lost or lived with a disability annually. High BP has enormous economic costs for patients and their families, health systems and national economies.
World Hypertension Day is aimed at raising attention on the importance of a better hypertension control. Its purpose is to communicate to the public the importance of hypertension and its serious medical complications, and to provide information on its prevention, detection, and management. It is also aimed at reducing physicians’ inertia in this context, to improve hypertension control rates.
The Council on Hypertension of the ESC is actively involved in 2024 WHD activities, by providing information and dedicated resources (available on this ESC webpage) to ESC members, and in general to all doctors, with the aim to help them improving their management of hypertensive patients.
World Hypertension Day is observed every year to raise awareness of the prevention, detection and treatment of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the primary risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. The World Hypertension League (WHL), an umbrella organisation of 85 national hypertension societies and leagues, is responsible for designating and initiating the day. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is defined as systolic blood pressure that is consistently higher than 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure that is consistently higher than 90 mm Hg. High blood pressure is the most significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney problems and early death. From date to history, scroll down to know more about this day.
