Stroke due to high blood pressure in Vietnam is the highest in the world

Two prominent complications of high blood pressure are stroke and myocardial infarction. "Vietnam is in a region with a high rate of stroke complications, only slightly lower than China," said Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Minh, President of the Vietnam Cardiovascular Association, at a scientific conference of FV Hospital on April 20. Meanwhile, in many countries, myocardial infarction complications of high blood pressure account for a high rate.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, the rate of high blood pressure in the world is from 23 to 37%, meaning that one in every 3 to 4 people has it. High blood pressure is a condition that occurs when systolic blood pressure is greater than 140, diastolic blood pressure is greater than 90 mmHg or is taking medication.

The prevalence of hypertension has remained unchanged over the past 30 years, but the number of people diagnosed with the disease has increased from 648 million in 1990 to 1.28 billion in 2019. This is explained by the fact that due to population aging and growth, more people are being diagnosed with the disease. Low- and middle-income countries, such as Vietnam, have the highest number of people with hypertension.

According to Professor Minh, the control of hypertension is still largely unsatisfactory worldwide. In Vietnam, statistics show that 25% of men and 21.6% of women have the disease, but not everyone achieves and maintains their target blood pressure.

Factors that make it difficult to control blood pressure are that many patients are poor, do not have health insurance, and lack knowledge about the disease. High blood pressure often progresses silently, and many people do not know they have the disease. People who have been diagnosed with the disease often do not comply with treatment, do not use enough medication, and do not actively change their lifestyle as recommended.

Recently, major hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have received many people aged 20-30 with cerebral hemorrhage, leading to death or disability, the reason being that they did not know they had high blood pressure or were subjective about this disease. This is considered a silent killer, because many people with the disease are still healthy, only when their blood pressure is measured do they know it is very high.

Long-term uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause complications in the heart, leading to myocardial infarction, heart failure, and arrhythmia. In the kidneys, high blood pressure causes acute kidney damage, chronic kidney disease, and eventually leads to end-stage chronic kidney failure requiring regular dialysis. The disease can also cause vision loss, blindness, atherosclerosis leading to leg pain when walking, even ulcers, necrosis requiring amputation, causing disability. High blood pressure can also be the cause of erectile dysfunction, especially if accompanied by diabetes and smoking.

Professor Minh recommends that people with high blood pressure comply with treatment and monitor their blood pressure at home. Follow a healthy diet, reduce salt, and limit salty foods. Increase potassium intake, eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and reduce saturated fat and total fat.

Lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, as systolic blood pressure is expected to decrease by about 1 mmHg for every 1 kg of weight loss. Be physically active, prioritizing aerobic exercise, brisk walking 5-7 times a week, 30-60 minutes each session. Reduce alcohol consumption, men no more than 2 drinks, women no more than one small drink per day.