05 Risk Factor: Blood Pressure CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Risk factor: blood pressure
SWEDEN
ICELAND
C A N A D A
28
Percentage of people aged 20 to 74 years
with blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or above,
or taking anti-hypertensive medicine,
age-adjusted
1976–2000
Black non-Hispanic female 51.1
Black non-Hispanic male 50.7
FRANCE
U S A
SPAIN
NAURU
BANGLADESH
INDIA
COSTA RICA
VENEZUELA
SIERRA LEONE
ETHIOPIA
135.7
133.6
BRAZIL
BOLIVIA
CHILE
1999–2000
AUSTRALIA
SOUTH
AFRICA
Blood pressure
155.3
151.1
High bl
o
contriobd pressure
utes
around
half of to
card
al
diseaseiovascular l
.
The low
your b
the betlood pressuerr
as you ter, as lon e
g
do
faint noot feel
r
light-h
eaded.
140 and above
120–129
66–75
years
NEW
ZEALAND
Average systolic blood pressure of people
aged 30 years and above
estimated to 2005
mmHg
data from urban populations only
56–65
years
76–100
years
below 120
no data
Blood pressure in India
Average systolic blood pressure
in urban men
aged 40 to 49 years
1942–1997
mmHg
more
than
12 years
9%
12
years
10%
8–11
years
123.5
125.2
126.2
12%
High blood pressure
by years of education
in South Africa
Percentage of people
aged 15 and above
with blood pressure
higher than
160/95 mmHg
1998
female
male
13%
14%
11%
128.7 130
120.4
UNITED
KINGDOM
DENMARK
CUBA
MEXICO
HAITI
COSTA RICA
SENEGAL
GAMBIA
VENEZUELA
NIGERIA
25%
20%
FIJI
ETHIOPIA
PALAU
MALAYSI A
SEYCHELLES
9%
16%
SAMOA
THAILAND
ECUADOR
UNITED REP.
TANZANIA
BOLIVIA
CHILE
NAURU
BANGLADESH
INDIA
CAMEROON
22%
REP.
KOREA
PAKISTAN
DOMINICAN REP.
SINGAPORE
I N D O N E S I A
PAPUA
NEW
GUINEA
ZIMBABWE
PARAGUAY
SOUTH
AFRICA
no
education
I SL. REP.
I RAN
JAMAICA
ST LUCIA
BARBADOS
JAPAN
C H I N A
UAE
EGYPT
18%
1942 1954 1963 1971 1985 1997
MONGOLIA
UZBEKISTAN
KUWAIT
BRAZIL
5 years
and less
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
SWEDEN ESTONIA
LITHUANIA
NETH.
POLAND
BELGIUM GER CZECH REP. UKRAINE
A HUN
FRANCE
ROMANIA
ITALY
BULGARIA
SWITZ. ALBANIA
GEORGIA
SPAIN
SERBIA &
MONTENEGRO
TUNISIA
U S A
of
se
risk
The lar disea
u
y
sc
ever
iova
card bles for ase in
dou nt incre essure
oi
pr
10 p c blood oint
i
l
p
o
diast every 20 ystolic
or
n s e.
r
ase i
incre d pressu
o
o
l
b
FINLAND
ICELAND
C A N A D A
SIERRA LEONE
6–7
years
PAPUA
NEW
GUINEA
I N D O N E S I A
ZIMBABWE
Men
PARAGUAY
130–139
46–55
years
MALAYSIA
UNITED REP.
TANZANIA
127.1
125.2
36–45
years
PALAU
SINGAPORE
SEYCHELLES
30.6
28.9
25.0
24.7
148.3
145.8
143.7
139
FIJI
NIGERIA
CAMEROON
1996–1997
female
male
SAMOA
THAILAND
SENEGAL
GAMBIA
ST LUCIA
BARBADOS
Blood pressure changes with age in the Gambia
26–35
years
C H I N A
UAE
EGYPT
REP.
KOREA
PAKISTAN
HAITI
GHANA
41.0
38.0
25.9
25.6
22.3
19.7
1988–1994
1976–1980
16–24
years
JAPAN
I SL. REP.
I RAN
ECUADOR
Mexican male 25.6
Mexican female 22.5
119.2
MONGOLIA
GEORGIA
DOMINICAN REP.
White non-Hispanic female 33.7
119.1
CZECH REP. UKRAINE
A
H ROMANIA
SWITZ.
BULGARIA
ITALY
ALBANIA
SERBIA &
MONTENEGRO
TUNISIA
CUBA
MEXICO
JAMAICA
36.5
36.4
127.4
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
KUWAIT
White non-Hispanic male 45.0
126
FINLAND
LITHUANIA
POLAND
NETH.
GER
BELGIUM
High blood pressure in the USA
“There are six flavours and, of them all,
salt is the chief.”
Hindu proverb
High blood pressure
(hypertension) is one of the most
important preventable causes of
premature death worldwide.
Even a blood pressure at the top
end of the normal range increases
risk. High blood pressure is
defined as a systolic blood
pressure (SBP) above 140 mmHg
and/or a diastolic blood pressure
(DBP) above 90 mmHg.
In most countries, up to 30% of
adults suffer from high blood
pressure and a further 50% to
60% would be in better health if
they reduced their blood
pressure, by increasing physical
activity, maintaining an ideal body
weight and eating more fruits and
vegetables.
In people aged up to 50 years,
both DBP and SBP are associated
with cardiovascular risk; above
this age, SBP is a far more
important predictor. Blood
pressure usually rises with age,
except where salt intake is low,
physical activity high, and obesity
largely absent.
Most natural foods contain salt,
but processed food may be high in
salt; in addition, individuals may
add salt for taste. Dietary salt
increases blood pressure in most
people with hypertension, and in
about a quarter of those with
normal blood pressure, especially
with increasing age. A high intake
of salt independently increases the
risk of CVD in overweight
persons.
In addition to lifestyle changes,
effective medication is available
for control of high blood pressure.
UNITED
KINGDOM
DENMARK
GHANA
5
Women
AUSTRALIA
NEW
ZEALAND
29