A nationwide survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, revealed that 28.5 percent of adults in India are hypertensive. Among them, 27.9 percent were aware of their hypertensive condition, 14.5 percent were undergoing treatment, and 12.6 percent had their blood pressure under control. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in urban areas (34 percent) compared to rural areas (25.7 percent). However, the survey also noted poor awareness and treatment among rural adults compared to their urban counterparts.
The findings were published in the Journal of Human Hypertension, titled “Hypertension Treatment Cascade In India: Results From National Noncommunicable Disease Monitoring Survey,” shedding light on the current prevalence of elevated blood pressure, awareness, treatment, and control status in adults aged 18-69 across the country.
The ICMR-NCDIR-led survey disclosed a higher prevalence of hypertension with lower treatment and control rates in the country, utilizing data from the National NCD Monitoring Survey (NNMS) conducted in 2017-18. The study surveyed 10,593 adults aged 18-69 nationwide.
Results showed that hypertension was more prevalent in older age groups and among males in urban areas. Older age groups, females, and individuals in the richest quintile were more aware of their hypertension status. Among hypertensive individuals, nearly three-fourths (72.1 percent) were undiagnosed, contributing to a higher burden of hypertension in the population. Of those under treatment (14.5 percent), almost 99.6 percent received allopathic treatment. However, health education on modifiable risk factors was inadequate, at just 10 percent. Treatment adherence was lower among rural residents (59.2 percent), while their urban counterparts scored 83.2 percent on this measure.
Dr. Prashant Mathur, corresponding author of the study, emphasized the need for better planning to address the low awareness and high dropout rates between hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and control. Strengthening high blood pressure screening and awareness strategies across all levels of healthcare delivery systems was recommended to achieve better population-level control.
