Overview
- Health agencies, which marked World Hypertension Day on Sunday, said about 1.4 billion people live with high blood pressure and only one in four has it under control.
- Peru’s INSN Breña cautioned that hypertension also affects children and urged taking blood pressure at age 6 each year and at every visit from age 10.
- Recent reports flagged more diagnoses before age 40, with the American Heart Association estimating nearly 23% of adults aged 18 to 39 have elevated readings or hypertension.
- Regional figures show the scale of the problem, with Argentina estimating one in three adults has hypertension and Peru reporting more than 5.5 million affected.
- Specialists urged routine checks, a clear diagnostic cutoff of 140/90 mmHg, less salt and more activity, weight control, and not stopping prescribed drugs without medical advice.