KARACHI, July 17: Eighteen per cent of population is suffering from hypertension with every third person above 40 years of age suffering from the same hence increasingly vulnerable to a wide range of diseases including myocardial infarction, strokes, arterial fibrillation, heart and renal failures.

A recently published report of Pakistan Medical Research Council identified high blood pressure to be more common among urban obese women and that its management was generally difficult under almost all conditions.

Globally, only half of those suffering from hypertension or blood pressure are diagnosed and that only half of those diagnosed are ever treated. Meanwhile, only half of those treated for hypertension are registered to comply the prescribed medication and caution and thus be able to control the condition. In a nutshell, only 12.5 per cent overall are adequately controlled.

The scenario in context of Pakistan is more alarming as only three per cent of the hypertension patients are able to get blood pressure appropriately controlled.

According to health experts, etiological factors involved in primary hypertension ranges from genetic factors to intrauterine influences and environmental factors.

Forty per cent people are believed to be genetically predetermined while specific genes are as yet to be identified. Family history also has its role.

Dr Niaz A. Sheikh of Dow University of Health Sciences with regard to intrauterine influences reminded that low birth weight increased the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Environmental factors were said to include obesity, physical inactivity, salt intake, stress, besides alcohol intake. He said that renal diseases as polycystic disease, renovascular disease, renal parenchymal disease were the major causes of secondary hypertension.

Dr Zaman A. Sheikh of Lyari General Hospital opined that endocrinological disorders and pregnancy were also among the secondary causes of hypertension.

With regard to complication of chronic hypertension, the experts observed that this could lead to cardiovascular conditions as ischemic stroke, cerebral infarction dementia and so forth. Myocardial infarction, anginal pectoris and coronary revascularization were said to be some of the hypertension-induced cardiac conditions.

Diabetic nephropathy and renal insufficiency were renal complications along with certain other vascular complications and retinopathy. —APP