NEW DELHI: Pointing towards the need for better clinical management of hypertension, India Heart Study on Friday revealed that the county is currently reeling under white-coat and masked hypertension that has put 40 per cent people at the risk of misdiagnosis.
”Along with the high prevalence of white-coat and masked hypertension, Indians have a higher average resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute, which is higher than the desired rate of 72 beats per minute,” stated the study.
Talking to reporters, Cardiologist at Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr JPS Sawhney said that deteriorating air condition in the national capital has led to an increase in high blood pressure patients, adding that such dangerous PM level can also cause sugar, stroke, acute and chronic bronchitis, lung cancers and heart failures in the long run.
Last year, new guidelines from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other health organisations lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) to 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and higher for all adults. The previous guidelines set the threshold at 140/90 mm Hg for people younger than age 65 and 150/80 mm Hg for those ages 65 and older.
”However, India is still working on the older standard of 140/90 mm Hg as “the new measure will increase 70 per cent of BP patients in India,” Dr Sawhney said highlighting the importance of self-measured blood pressure monitoring. (AGENCIES)
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