Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, May 15: Nearly one-third of the world’s adult population — around 1.71 billion people — was living with hypertension in 2020, according to a major global study that highlights the growing burden of high blood pressure, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The analysis found that while around 400 million adults with hypertension were from high-income nations, nearly 1.32 billion were from low- and middle-income countries.

Researchers noted that only about 20 per cent of adults with hypertension worldwide had their blood pressure under control in 2020. The rate of control was found to be nearly three times higher in high-income countries compared to low- and middle-income nations — 40.2 per cent versus 13.6 per cent.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, analysed data from 287 population-based studies involving over six million adults across 119 countries.

Researchers, including experts from Tulane University in the United States, said high blood pressure continues to remain a “silent epidemic” that places an increasing burden on public health systems worldwide.

The findings showed that while hypertension prevalence declined slightly in high-income countries between 2000 and 2020, nearly 90 per cent of the global increase in hypertension cases occurred in low- and middle-income nations.

Regions such as Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest prevalence of hypertension in 2020. However, East Asia and the Pacific had the largest overall number of adults with hypertension, followed by South Asia.

The study also revealed widening disparities over time. In 2000, around 70 per cent of adults with uncontrolled hypertension lived in low- and middle-income countries. By 2020, that figure had risen sharply to 83 per cent.

According to the report, awareness, treatment, and control rates improved significantly in high-income countries over the two decades. Awareness rose from 57.7 per cent to 69.2 per cent, treatment from 42.9 per cent to 66.3 per cent, and blood pressure control from 16.4 per cent to 40.2 per cent.

In contrast, low- and middle-income countries saw only modest progress. Awareness increased from 29.1 per cent to 46.1 per cent, treatment from 20.7 per cent to 30.8 per cent, and control from 6.4 per cent to 13.6 per cent.

Researchers said the findings underline the urgent need for stronger public health measures, including affordable access to blood pressure medicines, accurate diagnosis, simplified treatment protocols, and healthcare systems capable of supporting long-term management of chronic diseases.