"Do we call this development?" Series 1 - Health Issues

Study Warns of Growing BP Problem

A Tulane University study warns the ratio of world's adult population with high blood pressure will rise from a quarter to a third by 2025. That means more than 1.5 billion adults will have BP problems in the next 20 years, says the study published in this week's issue of Britain's The Lancet. The prevalence of high blood pressure in various regions of the world has been previously reported but this is the first study to estimate the total worldwide figure.

The number of adults with high blood pressure was predicted to increase by about 60 percent to a total of 1.56 billion in 2025. "High blood pressure is an important health issue not only because of its high frequency but also because it is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and kidney disease," Dr. He said.