WASHINGTON, DC, USA (CMC) —The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) says that at least one in three adults in the Americas, including the Caribbean, has high blood pressure or hypertension.
PAHO, an arm of the United Nations’ World Health Organisation (WHO), said on Wednesday that hypertension is the number-one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death throughout the world. Hypertension is believed to affect nearly one billion people worldwide.
The organisation has, in the meantime, called on health providers to carry out blood pressure checks at every opportunity, especially in primary health care settings. “High blood pressure is equalled to or above 140/90 mmHg, increases one’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.” According to PAHO, high blood pressure contributes to nearly 9.4 million cardiovascular deaths each year around the world. In the Americas, cardiovascular disease claims 1.9 million lives each year and is the main cause of death in most of the region’s countries,”