Today is World Hypertension Day. The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that more than 94,000 people in Macau suffered from hypertension in 2021, a slight increase of 0.6 percent compared to 2020, with the largest number of sufferers aged 60 to 74.
The statement noted that among the top 10 causes of death in Macau in 2021, hypertension and pneumonia were tied for 2nd place, after malignant tumours.
Commission for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases Cardiovascular Disease Working Group Convenor Dr Choi Chong Po said, hypertension is becoming more common among young people in recent years. The cause of hypertension may be due to changes in lifestyle and diet, but it can also be caused by chronic stress or nervousness. Therefore, the public is urged to maintain a peaceful state of mind and live a healthy lifestyle.
Talking to reporters yesterday, Dr Edmundo Patrício Lopes Lao, a cardiologist at the public Conde de Sao Januário Hospital Centre (CHCSJ), recommends that people aged 60 or above and those with other chronic diseases should have their blood pressure tested at least once a year, and if their blood pressure is still high after adjusting their lifestyle, they should consult their doctor about taking antihypertensive medication to reduce complications.
Praia do Manduco Health Centre Head Nurse Lio Pui Man told the media yesterday that 33 self-help blood pressure and weight check-up stations have been set up since 2015, with the number of users increasing from over 631,000 in 2017 to about 848,000 last year, while an additional 20 kiosks close to residential areas are being set up, Lio said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 worldwide have hypertension, among which two-thirds of them live in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO also pointed out that an estimated 46 percent of people with hypertension are unaware that they have high blood pressure, but only about 42 percent of sufferers are diagnosed and treated, and only nearly 21 percent with hypertension have their problem under control.
The WHO also pointed out that hypertension is the leading cause of premature death worldwide.
This “Invisible Killer” poster provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday shows the damage that hypertension can cause.
