Nearly one in three adults in rural India suffers from high blood pressure, but the vast majority remain unaware of their condition, raising concerns about the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other serious health problems, according to a new study.
The research, titled “Prevalence, Diagnosis, Treatment and Control of Hypertension Among Adults in Rural India: Results from the Indian Study of Healthy Ageing (ISHA),” was conducted by researchers at the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai.
The study analysed data from nearly 40,000 adults aged 30-69 years in Barshi, Maharashtra, between 2015 and 2020. Researchers measured participants’ blood pressure and collected information about previous diagnoses and the use of blood pressure medicines.
The findings revealed that 31 per cent of participants had hypertension. However, 25 per cent had undiagnosed high blood pressure, while only 6 per cent had previously received a diagnosis. Overall, fewer than one in five people with hypertension knew about their condition.
Sharayu Mhatre, Scientific Officer ‘E’ and Officer in Charge of the Division of Molecular Epidemiology and Population Genomics at TMC, and co-first author of the study, said, “Our finding also shows 31% of participants had either diagnosed (6 per cent) or undiagnosed (25%) hypertension. These findings underline the importance of effective screening, treatment, and control through long-term follow-up.”
The study also found that hypertension became more common with increasing age. It was particularly high among people with a history of cardiovascular disease, affecting 50 per cent of this group.
Among those who had been diagnosed, nearly 73 per cent reported taking blood pressure-lowering medicines. However, only 39 per cent of those receiving treatment had their blood pressure under control.
Pankaj Chaturvedi, Director of the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer at TMC and senior author of the study, stressed the need for regular screening in rural areas.
“This is an important study highlighting the importance of screening the rural population for hypertension control in rural areas which is essential to reduce mortality from many chronic diseases like CVD, stroke and chronic renal diseases,” he said.
The findings highlight the urgent need for wider blood pressure screening, timely diagnosis, proper treatment and regular follow-ups to prevent avoidable deaths and reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in rural India.
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