Today, May 17th is World Hypertension Day and we are supporting our partners’ efforts to raise awareness of hypertension and high blood pressure. Hypertension, or high blood pressure is a circulatory disease that is associated with almost half of all strokes. Knowing your numbers and managing your blood pressure is one of the key steps that in individuals and health workers can take to reduce the global burden of circulatory disease and stroke. The World Stroke Organization works closely the World Hypertension League and partners in the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health to draw attention to the need for more effective prevention, diagnosis and management of hypertension. As part of this partnership and in preparation for the commemoration World Hypertension Day next week, we are pleased to publish a guest blog from World Hypertension Lead President, Daniel Lackland.
The theme for World Hypertension Day 2019 is Know Your Numbers and the goal is to build awareness of high blood pressure (BP) how it can be prevented and managed in all populations around the world. This decision was based on global statistics, indicating that despite the dangers of unmanaged hypertension, only 50% of individuals with the condition were aware that they actually had high BP. In some populations, awareness is very low, at <10%. Building awareness of hypertension diagnosis has two critical components: (1) establishing high‐capacity community screening programs for BP in those at risk, and (2) promoting routine measurement of BP by health‐care professionals at all clinical encounters. These critical diagnostic steps will help to control hypertension in the global population and move us closer to achieving the United Nations goal of a 25% reduction in uncontrolled hypertension by 2025.
WHL, with their member organizations will work to implement screenings globally, but we also strongly encourage any WSO members who conduct BP screenings to contribute reports recorded in May 2019. This will help us to, not only raise individual and community awareness of hypertension, but to build more effective responses to hypertension in our shared communities.
A reporting form is available on the WHL Web site (www.whleague.org). Participants are asked to provide general information on their team, location, number screened, and NCD education provided. Participants may also report on proportion of known treated hypertensive people screened whose BPs are “controlled” (<140 mm Hg systolic and <90 mm Hg diastolic).
WHL recognizes that there are complex challenges to the prevention and control of hypertension globally, and, in most settings, efforts to prevent and control hypertension are not comprehensive, or coordinated. We can do our part to improve that, by working together in partnership to mark WHD to ensure rigorous BP measurement and NCD awareness efforts in the community and clinical settings. I strongly encourage you to start planning, gathering resources and reaching out to your communities now to help address the biggest single risk factor for stroke.
Further resources
· Resources to support screening initiatves can be accessed from (http://www.whleague.org/index.php/j-stuff/blood-pressure-assessment-train-the-trainer). In addition to screening protocols, a Train the Trainer module for establishing an evidence‐based BP screening site, supporting PowerPoint slide sets and YouTube videos, are available.
The theme for World Hypertension Day 2019 is Know Your Numbers and the goal is to build awareness of high blood pressure (BP) how it can be prevented and managed in all populations around the world. This decision was based on global statistics, indicating that despite the dangers of unmanaged hypertension, only 50% of individuals with the condition were aware that they actually had high BP. In some populations, awareness is very low, at <10%. Building awareness of hypertension diagnosis has two critical components: (1) establishing high‐capacity community screening programs for BP in those at risk, and (2) promoting routine measurement of BP by health‐care professionals at all clinical encounters. These critical diagnostic steps will help to control hypertension in the global population and move us closer to achieving the United Nations goal of a 25% reduction in uncontrolled hypertension by 2025.
WHL, with their member organizations will work to implement screenings globally, but we also strongly encourage any WSO members who conduct BP screenings to contribute reports recorded in May 2019. This will help us to, not only raise individual and community awareness of hypertension, but to build more effective responses to hypertension in our shared communities.
A reporting form is available on the WHL Web site (www.whleague.org). Participants are asked to provide general information on their team, location, number screened, and NCD education provided. Participants may also report on proportion of known treated hypertensive people screened whose BPs are “controlled” (<140 mm Hg systolic and <90 mm Hg diastolic).
WHL recognizes that there are complex challenges to the prevention and control of hypertension globally, and, in most settings, efforts to prevent and control hypertension are not comprehensive, or coordinated. We can do our part to improve that, by working together in partnership to mark WHD to ensure rigorous BP measurement and NCD awareness efforts in the community and clinical settings. I strongly encourage you to start planning, gathering resources and reaching out to your communities now to help address the biggest single risk factor for stroke.
Further resources
· Resources to support screening initiatves can be accessed from (http://www.whleague.org/index.php/j-stuff/blood-pressure-assessment-train-the-trainer). In addition to screening protocols, a Train the Trainer module for establishing an evidence‐based BP screening site, supporting PowerPoint slide sets and YouTube videos, are available.
