In urban India, 31% men and 26% women suffer from hypertension: Report

The report also found that the prevalence of diabetes among men and women was 22% and 19%, respectively.

Hypertension is a deadly condition which kills on the sly. It was previously reported that over 50% of doctors in India live with hypertension. A new study found that more men in urban India suffer from hypertension than women. While the prevalence of hypertension among urban men and women was maximum in Kerala (31% to 39%), it was lowest in Bihar (16% to 22%), according to a report by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Hypertension is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in a person’s arteries remains persistently elevated.(Shutterstock)

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in a person’s arteries remains persistently elevated. The premier city-based nutrition research institute works under the aegis of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The report, ‘Diet and nutritional status of urban population and prevalence of Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and its associated non-communicable diseases’, was released on the occasion of NIN Foundation Day function yesterday.

The report is based on a comprehensive urban nutrition survey carried out by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) during 2015-16. The NNMB was established in 1972 by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). According to the report, “The prevalence of diabetes among men and women (after adjustment of age) was 22% and 19%, respectively. It was significantly associated with overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, hyperlipidaemia (an abnormal increase in the levels of fats, including cholesterol, in the blood),” it said.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking among men was 16%, while alcohol consumption was observed in 30% men, the report said. A total of 1.72 lakh “subjects” from 16 states in the country were covered for their socio-demographic status while carrying out the survey, it said. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal, who released the report, said the regulator is making efforts to increase the capacity of food businesses towards ensuring food safety.

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