ONE in four Cypriots suffers from high blood pressure, with at least a third of all sufferers unaware they have the life threatening condition.
“Ten per cent know they have it but remain untreated and around 30 per cent take medication but have uncontrolled blood pressure. In conclusion, only one in four Cypriot hypertensives has well-controlled blood pressure,” Dr Pambis Nicolaides, president of the Cardiology Society, said.
Nicolaides was speaking at a news conference on Thursday in light of World Hypertension Day.
“Hypertension does not have any symptoms, which is why it is called the ‘silent killer’,” he added.
He said the condition could cause heart failure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, renal failure, aneurysm and cerebral haemorrhage.
The cardiologist said someone could have systolic blood pressure as high as 20 and not know it.
“The first symptom could unfortunately be a heart attack, a stroke or kidney failure. The only way to know our blood pressure is by taking it preventatively,” he said.
Dr Marcos Agathangelou, president of the Hypertension Society, said more than half of all Cypriots aged 60-69 had high blood pressure, a condition that increased with age.
This percentage increased to 75 per cent of the population over the age of 69.
“By 2025, hypertension and heart complications will be the main cause of morbidity and death,” he said.
Agathangelou said all adults over the age of 19 should know their blood pressure and ensure it was under 140/90 mmHg.
The doctors said the first course of treatment involved lifestyle changes including reducing body weight, limiting salt intake, exercising three to five times a week for at least 30 to 55 minutes, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, stopping smoking, and avoiding stress as much as possible.
Nicolaides said there were times when lifestyle changes had such a positive effect in reducing blood pressure that patients treated with prescription medication could come off it.
He said: “Successful hypertensive treatment reduces the risk of stroke by 37 per cent, heart disease by 22 per cent and heart failure by 52 per cent. It also significantly reduces the danger of kidney failure… Studies have shown that a small reduction in pressure of 5mmHg of distolic pressure (the lower figure) or 10mmHg of systolic pressure (the higher figure) reduces incidence of stroke by 38 per cent and heart attacks by 16 per cent. The benefits are even greater in diabetics.”
Both Agathangelou and Nicolaides said hypertensive patients had to be treated taking into account all risk factors, including smoking, hyperglycaemia, diabetes, and a family history of heart conditions.
“According to the World Health Organisation, reducing high blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol and smoking across the general population could reduce cardiac episodes by 50 per cent,” Nicolaides added.
The doctors said that a population strategy that encouraged simple lifestyle and environmental changes would much improve public health as well as save lives.
As part of this initiative, Health Minister Charis Charalambous announced the establishment of a national committee, with Nicolaides as its head, to tackle hypertension as part of a campaign against high blood pressure.
Meanwhile on Saturday, as part of the campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of hypertension, kiosks on Nicosia’s Makarios Avenue and Eleftheria Square, Limassol’s District Council, Larnaca’s Finikoudes and Paphos’ Kennedy Square will take people’s blood pressure free of charge and inform of them about the condition.
