PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND COMMUNITY

HEALTH II
Hypertension
Introduction
Is the most common preventable cause of stroke and other cardiovascular
(CV) complications.
In most cases, it has no underlying detectable cause.
It has a well-known role in determining Coronary Artery Disease and
Stroke.
The increase in the rate and the relative risk of hypertension causing CV
events are higher in Asians than in Caucasians.
This should lead to an even more aggressive approach to find and treat
hypertension in Asia.











Hypertension is considered as the biggest single risk factor for deaths
worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hypertension
causes 7 million deaths every year while 1.5 billion people suffer due to its
complications. Hypertension causes heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm
or renal failure.

In the Philippines, heart attack is the most common cause of death among
Filipinos. This may be attributed to continuous neglect on the danger of
hypertension and its complications.




Epidemiology
As in the past, most of the 10 leading causes of morbidity are
communicable diseases.
From 1995 to 2000, these included diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia,
influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, chickenpox and measles.
Leading non-communicable causes of morbidity are hypertension and
diseases of the heart.
These made up 29.7 percent of the deaths attributed to the 10 leading
causes
In the Philippines:
A study conducted by Philippine Society of Hypertension found out that
the prevalence of hypertension in the country is increasing. In 2003, data
showed that 16 percent or approximately 7 million Filipino adults 20
years and above has hypertension. The incidence increased to 10 million
or 21 percent of Filipino adults 20 years and above in 2008.
Heart disease and stroke remains the leading causes of mortality,
comprising 35% of total deaths, among Filipinos. Philippine Health
Statistics data show that in 2009, about 167,000 Filipinos died from heart
disease and stroke. Half of these tragic deaths are likely related to high
blood pressure.
An analysis done by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
(PIDS) further reveals that 34% of all cardiovascular deaths are
happening prematurely or at age below 60 years, ending the life of many
Filipinos during their supposedly most productive years. This has
implications to labor, productivity, and economic development







Risk Factors