Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 25: Raising “alarm” over high prevalence of hypertension in Kashmir, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today pitched for separate hypertension clinics in hospitals.
While voicing concern over enormous magnitude of hypertension in valley, the DAK president Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said that setting up of separate hypertension clinics will help in prevention and control of hypertension. “These comprehensive hypertension clinics will provide increased awareness, early detection and adequate treatment which in turn will mitigate the disease burden,” he added.
Also in these clinics patients will be allowed to express their health concerns that build trust which will improve adherence to treatment and will bring reduction in their blood pressure, the DAK president said.
He said: “Hypertension is a silent killer and a modern epidemic and is the leading cause of death and disability. Globally, over one billion people are living with hypertension and it kills 9.4 million people every year.”
In Kashmir, he said, every third person is hypertensive and more than half of elderly population is hypertensive and the problem is growing. “The increased prevalence of hypertension is due to sedentary life style, obesity and unhealthy food habits especially intake of processed and convenience foods,” the DAK president said.
“Hypertension is responsible for majority of stroke and cardiac deaths and is the most important cause of premature deaths. These clinics will play a vital role in prevention of hypertension and are far less costly and far safer for patients than interventions like cardiac bypass surgery and renal transplant that may be needed when hypertension is missed and goes untreated,” Dr Hasan added.
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