One in four people in Cyprus has hypertension

One out of four people in Cyprus suffers from hypertension, with the number increasing to one out of two for those aged over 60, the Cyprus Cardiology Society and the Cyprus Hypertension Society said on Monday.

The figures were released on World Hypertension Day, which falls annually on May 17 since 2006. The event was initiated to increase the awareness of hypertension.

One out of three people is not aware of suffering from hypertension, which often leads to high blood pressure if not properly addressed and treated.

The two societies are organising an island-wide educational campaign to raise public awareness on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

With the message Measure your blood pressure, Live longer, the campaign will run until May 23 and will be carried out online due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with educational films on hypertension and scientific articles as well as targeted posts on both societies’ social media pages.

“Hypertension is also becoming a pandemic, as more than one billion people around the world suffer from this disease, which is mainly caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, obesity, stress and smoking,” a joint announcement said.

“During the campaign, which is under the auspices of the health ministry and the Pancyprian Medical Association, the public will have the opportunity to hear from distinguished cardiologists about the serious pathological complications caused by high blood pressure, as well as the ways to treat it.”