Back to blood pressure news index

Blood pressure impacts developing countries

A new report has shown that high blood pressure is not just a disease that affects the wealthier developed countries.

Researchers said that 80% of deaths related to high blood pressure globally occur in developing countries.

Researchers comments

The researchers said, "Most of the disease burden caused by high blood pressure is borne by low-income and middle-income countries, by people in middle age, and by people with lesser degrees of high blood pressure."

The report

The report published in The Lancet found that strokes and heart attacks caused by high blood pressure were responsible for nearly eight million premature deaths worldwide. Most of those deaths were of people aged between 45 and 70 years old.

The report said that premature deaths have decreased in wealthier countries over the last 50 years, due to the accessibility of blood pressure reducing medicines and increased hospital care.

An editorial commented that, "None of the major international drug companies have offered material assistance in this global health crisis, despite gargantuan profits from the sales of blood-pressure-lowering drugs in high-income countries."

Back to blood pressure news index