Hypertension cases in Maharashtra rise by 25 percent in 2018

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The cases of hypertension in the state rose by about 25 per cent in 2018, according to the data collected by the health department. With more than 50 per cent cases, women have been affected the most. Lifestyle imbalance and stress are to be blamed for the rise in cases.

According to Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Maharashtra reported a total of 2,06,936 cases of hypertension in 2017, which increased to 2,59,408 in 2018. Of the 2,59,408 cases, 1,32,205 were reported by women.

The experts said hypertension is a lifestyle-based problem, and due to excessive consumption of fast foods, lack of daily exercise and increasing work pressure, more people are becoming victims of the condition.

Dr Narendra Bansal from the cardiology department of J J Hospital said people need to be careful since childhood. "In most of the cases, we have seen that people come for the treatment really late which further delays the treatment," he added.

Cardiologist Dr Anil Sharma said the amount of salt in fast food is high, which increases the amount of water in our blood stream. This leads to pressure on the blood arteries. Similarly, smoking or tobacco consumption shrinks the blood vessels which narrows down the blood flow. This causes pressure on the arteries, resulting in problems like hypertension.

According to the DHS data, 78 per cent of the patients last year opted for treatment, while the remaining 22 per cent decided against medical intervention. Dr Sharma said, "In today's world, every third person is at the risk of getting hypertension. And unfortunately, often people either discontinue their treatment or don't get to know about the condition until it's too late".

2.6 lakh
No of cases reported in 2018

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