Hypertension or high blood pressure affects nearly three in ten Indians and is responsible for 17.5 percent of all deaths and 9.7 percent of disability-adjusted life years (DALYS) in India, according to data released in 2017. DALYS measure the total disease burden and the years lost due to disability, ill-health and early death.
Hypertension was also the fourth-leading risk factor for death and disability and responsible for over 1.6 million deaths in India - more than the population of Mauritius and double the population of Bhutan - in 2016, according to the Global Burden of Disease data collated by the Washington-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. In India, hypertension in adults is defined with a blood pressure of 140/90.
Researchers have demonstrated that a programme aimed at helping people modify lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise is as effective as medication at reducing blood pressure.
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Developed by: Achintya De and Shahadat Hussain
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