Over 75 per cent Indians with hypertension have uncontrolled BP: Lancet study
New Delhi (PTI): Less than one-fourth of hypertensive patients in India have their blood pressure under control, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health journal.
Hypertension or high blood pressure is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), making it one of the significant contributors of premature death and morbidity.
The team, including researchers from National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, and Boston University School of Public Health, US, conducted a systematic review of 51 studies published after 2001 that reported hypertension control rates in India.
The researchers focused on community-based non-interventional studies which provide a realistic picture of control rates at the community level.
They also examined the changes in control rates over the years, which the authors said, was never done before.
The research found that 21 studies (41 per cent) reported poorer hypertension control rates among males than females, and six studies (12 per cent) reported poorer control rates among rural patients.
The pooled hypertension control rate in India during 2001 2020 was 17.5 per cent -- with significant increase over the years, reaching 22.5 per cent in 2016 2020, the researchers said.
Sub-group analysis showed significantly better control rates in the South and West regions, and significantly poorer control rates among males. Very few studies reported data on social determinants or lifestyle risk factors, they said.
"Less than one-fourth of hypertensive patients in India had their blood pressure under control during 2016 2020. Although the control rate has improved compared to previous years, substantial differences exist across regions," the authors of the study said.
"Very few studies have examined the lifestyle risk factors and social determinants relevant to hypertension control in India," they added.
In the study, hypertension control rate was defined as the proportion of patients with their blood pressure under control ie. a systolic blood pressure less than 140 mmHg (unit of pressure) and diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg.
The review included 49 cross-sectional and two cohort studies covering 1.39 million population (73 per cent females) including 338,313 (3.3 lakh) hypertensive patients. Thirty nine studies had state-specific data covering 15 states and territories.
The mean hypertension prevalence across studies was 24.2 per cent, and 46.8 per cent of them were aware of their high blood pressure.
The researchers noted that India needs to develop and evaluate sustainable, community-based strategies and programmes to improve hypertension control rates.
"Hypertension is a significant contributor to mortality in India. Achieving better hypertension control rate at the population level is critical in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality," the authors said.
The team also included researchers from Government Medical College, Manjeri and KIMS Al-Shifa Specialty Hospital, Perinthalmanna, both in Kerala.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
