High blood pressure 'to hit 1bn'

In developed countries, the lifetime risk of developing high blood pressure is now more than 90%, according to experts.

An editorial focusing on the problem in The Lancet medical journal said the estimated number of adults living with high blood pressure around the world in 2000 was 972 million.

A high blood pressure reading is one that exceeds 140/90 millimetres of mercury.

The first figure, the systolic pressure, corresponds to the "surge" that occurs with each heart beat. The second, diastolic, reading is the pressure during the "resting" stage between beats. Generally, the diastolic reading is considered the most important to health.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. It is associated with obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels.

Poor life style and lack of compliance with effective treatments were identified by The Lancet as major obstacles in the way of tackling the condition.

The editorial said: "Lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with high processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use, are at the heart of this increased disease burden, which is spreading at an alarming rate from developed countries to emerging economies such as India and China."

Many people wrongly believed that high blood pressure was a disease that could be cured, it added. Patients prescribed blood pressure-lowering treatments often stopped taking the drugs or reduced the dose when their blood pressure fell.

"Physicians need to convey the message that hypertension is the first, and easily measurable, irreversible sign that many organs in the body are under attack. Perhaps this message will make people think more carefully about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle and give preventative measures a real chance."