The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first report on the negative global impact of high blood pressure. As Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide, it is not surprising that the report notes that 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated. The fact that hypertension can be effectively controlled with low-cost medication programs like the WHO HEARTS program, makes this especially concerning. A CNN article detailing the report highlighted that proper treatment for those with hypertension could avert 76 million deaths globally. On a positive note, within the report and the CNN article, Canada was highlighted as global leader for surpassing the 50% mark for blood pressure control in adults living with hypertension. This was attributed to Canada’s comprehensive national hypertension treatment program. While we are pleased that Canada is highlighted in this report, it is important to note that key elements of the national hypertension treatment program were disbanded in 2012, which has since led to a decline in hypertension control rates. This is a large part of why we have recently revamped our advocacy group, the Canadian Hypertension Coalition.
