One billion people suffer from high blood pressure - Study

Scientist say the number of people with high blood pressure has almost doubled in the last 40 years to over 1.1 billion worldwide, with the burden of the condition shifting from the rich to the poor.

The study which is the largest study of its kind analyzed blood pressure in every nation between 1975 and 2015 with results showing that the condition has dropped sharply in wealthy countries - which scientist say is possibly due to healthier diets and lifestyles - but risen in poorer ones.

According to the researcher, the increases are particularly significant in Africa and South Asia, and could be partly due to poor nutrition in childhood.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, puts extra strain on the blood vessels and other major organs of the body such as the heart, brain and kidneys. 

The health condition which is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths a year worldwide, is the world's top cause of cardiovascular disease, which leads to strokes and heart attacks.

The research led by World Health Organization with researchers working with hundreds of scientists internationally, covered blood pressure measurements from nearly 20 million people and was published in The Lancet medical journal.

In 2015, Britain had the lowest proportion of people with high blood pressure while South Korea, the US and Canada had the lowest hypertension rates in the world.

The study estimated that more than half the world's adults with high blood pressure in 2015 lived in Asia. The study also revealed that about 226 million people in China have high blood pressure, as do 200 million in India.

A professor at Imperial College London's school of public health, Majid Ezzati,said;

"High blood pressure is no longer related to affluence - as it was in 1975 - but is now a major health issue linked with poverty." 

He added that while he could not be sure of why the data showed high blood pressure as more of a problem in poorer countries, it may be partly due to overall better health and more consumption of fruit and vegetables in wealthy societies.

Kate Kelland Reuters