With 29 per cent of the UAE population suffering from hypertension, health professionals are concerned that the condition is much more prevalent, as many more people are living in denial causing a large number of cases to go undiagnosed. Recent reports from the WHO show that 46 per cent of adults who suffer from hypertension globally, don’t even know that their lives are being adversely affected.
One of the most common conditions, hypertension, can go undiagnosed without any symptoms for years, and constantly increases the risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.
With hypertension, one’s blood pressure is higher than normal, and it changes throughout the day based on everyday activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal in any individual results in a diagnosis of hypertension. A huge challenge identified by health professionals today is that due to the lack of constant awareness, most people actively ignore getting their blood pressure checked.
To combat this, Merck is raising global awareness on hypertension and its ill effects and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases making positive difference in millions of lives every day.
“Hypertension remains among the top causes of death and disease throughout the world. If not treated it can cause other major risks such as brain and kidney disease, not to mention strokes and heart attacks. The underlying cause of hypertension varies from one person to another. There are many risk factors for hypertension. One of these high-risk factors is age. The risk for hypertension only increases as we age. Until the age of 64, hypertension is more prevalent in men. Women are more likely to develop hypertension after the age of 65,” commented Prof. Abdullah Shehab, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine.
Prof. Abdullah Shehab
Hypertension can easily be detected through the regular measuring of blood pressure, at home or in a health facility. This medical condition is also easily managed, with a healthy lifestyle, and balanced diet. Merck aims to bring affordable and high-quality medicines to patients and offers a broad range of treatments for hypertension.
“Family history is also a risk factor for high blood pressure as it tends to run in families. Other hypertension risk factors include being overweight, physically inactive, using tobacco, consuming too much salt, and not consuming enough potassium in your diet, drinking too much alcohol, and having certain chronic conditions like diabetes, sleep apnea, and kidney disease,” added Prof. Shehab.
There are many hypertension medications available, yet only 42 per cent of hypertensive adult patients get diagnosed and receive appropriate treatment.
A leader in research and development, Merck strives towards creating disease awareness and the best medicinal alternatives for everyone and delivering top-of-the-line treatments.
In an effort to raise global awareness on hypertension and elevated heart rate, Merck reached to the heights of the Sky with a skydiving act carried out by trained professionals holding the Merck Flag signed by patrons, doctors and employees of Merck, under a global maxim, “Together we take control, together we reach our goal. It was a shout out from the top by Merck urging people to take control of their lives.
“It is important to note that high blood pressure is the main leading cause of premature death globally. More than 8.5 million people die of hypertension yearly, which is why constant awareness is needed,” said Prof. Shehab.