In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first-ever report on the global impact of high blood pressure, highlighting the effects of hypertension on individuals and communities worldwide. According to the report, approximately 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated, but scaling up coverage could avert 76 million deaths between 2023 and 2050.
Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide, leading to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, and other health problems. The number of people living with hypertension has doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion. Nearly half of people with hypertension globally are unaware of their condition, and more than three-quarters of adults with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries.
The report emphasizes the importance of lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco, and being more active, in helping to lower blood pressure. Additionally, some people may need medicines to control hypertension effectively and prevent related complications.
The prevention, early detection, and effective management of hypertension are among the most cost-effective interventions in healthcare and should be prioritized by countries as part of their national health benefit package. The economic benefits of improved hypertension treatment programs outweigh the costs by about 18 to 1.
“Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only about one in five people with hypertension have controlled it,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
The report highlights the importance of implementing WHO-recommended effective hypertension care, which includes five components: protocol, medication and equipment supply, team-based care, patient-centered services, and information systems.
Effective community- and country-wide blood pressure management can be achieved in countries of all income levels, and more than 40 low- and middle-income countries have strengthened their hypertension care with the HEARTS package, enrolling more than 17 million people into treatment programs.