Southern States have a higher prevalence of hypertension than the national average, according to the NFHS-5 (2-19-2021) report.
While 21.3% of women and 24% of men aged above 15 have hypertension in the country, Karnataka has 25% women and 26.9% men in the same age group (above 15) who have hypertension.
In the pre-hypertensive category, while the prevalence is 39% women and 49% men aged above 15 in the country, Karnataka has 36.3% women and 47.5% men (in the same age group), stated the report that was recently released by the Union Health Minister.
According to the report, in Karnataka, 42.8% of women aged above 15 have normal blood pressure. While 14.8% are in the mildly elevated range, 4.2% and 1.9% have moderately and severely elevated BP respectively.
Highest in Kerala
Among the Southern States, the prevalence is the highest in Kerala where 32.8% men and 30.9% women have been diagnosed with hypertension. Kerala is followed by Telangana where the prevalence is 31.4% in men and 26.1% in women.
Overall, the report has found that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 65% of all deaths in India. The major metabolic risk factors for NCDs are obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and high total cholesterol levels in the blood.
An individual is classified as having hypertension if he/she has a systolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 90 mmHg or that individual is currently taking anti-hypertensive medication to lower his/her blood pressure.
Based on blood pressure measurement during the survey, 21.3% of women aged above 15 have hypertension, including 12.4% with mildly elevated blood pressure, 3.6% with moderately elevated blood pressure, and 1.6% with severely elevated blood pressure in the country.
For both women and men, the prevalence of hypertension increases sharply with age in the country. This increase is for all categories of hypertension, including pre-hypertension, for both women and men. About one-fourth of women and men aged 40-49 years have hypertension. Even at an earlier age, one in eight women and more than one in five men aged 30-39 years have hypertension.
Religion-wise
The prevalence of hypertension is higher among Sikhs (37% for men and 31% for women), Jains (30% for men and 25% for women), and Christians (29% for men and 26% for women) than the rest. There is a consistent and steep increase in the prevalence of hypertension with increases in the body mass index (BMI) for both women and men, the survey found.
While 40% of obese men and 28 % of obese women are hypertensive, the prevalence among women is highest (35%) in Sikkim. The prevalence of hypertension among men aged above 15 years ranges from 15% in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu to 42% in Sikkim.
High blood glucose
The patterns of high blood glucose by background characteristics are quite similar to those for hypertension. For both women and men, the prevalence of high and very high blood glucose increases sharply with age, the survey found.
The combined prevalence of high and very high blood glucose is particularly pronounced among Christian women (18%) and Christian men (17%). There is a slight increase in very high blood glucose prevalence with an increase in household wealth for both women and men.
Among the States, the prevalence of high and very high blood glucose (combined) among women aged above 15 ranges from 6% in Ladakh to 21% in Kerala. For men, the prevalence ranges from 7% each in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir to 22% in Goa and 24% in Kerala.
Blood glucose levels
In Karnataka, 87.4% of women and 85.7% of men have normal blood glucose levels. While 5.7% and 6.8% of women have high and very high levels respectively, the prevalence in men for high and very high blood glucose levels is 6.6% and 7.6% respectively.
