On the occasion of World Heart Day.17,900,000 people die every yearfrom CVD, including heart disease and stroke.

Uncontrolled and Resistant Hypertension: A Global Tsunami responsible for premature  Heart Attacks and  Brain Attacks : Time to Act is Now

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Earth & Sciences, Govt. of India has been invited to  inaugurate the “World Hypertension Dialogue” being jointly organized by International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound (ISCU)USA, American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin (AACIO) USA, World Wellness Foundation (WWF) & World Heart Academy (WHA) and Iconic Award Ceremony for the legends of Cardiology at Hotel Shangrila- Eros, Ashoka Road, New Delhi on Saturday, 28th, September, 2019.  More than 600 doctors will participate in the scientific deliberations.

Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary to the Govt. of India, Department of Science and Technology Govt. of India  has consented to be “The Hon’ble Special Guest” on the occasion for inauguration of World Hypertension Dialogue  and Iconic Award Ceremony for the legends of Cardiology.

Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said that uncontrolled Resistant Hypertension is really a Global Tsunami. India is the world capital of Hypertension today. He said that Hypertension is a silent killer. Intense Public awareness, education and scientific activity like World Hypertension Dialogue with go long way.

Dr. Ashutosh Sharma said that lifestyle optimization should be undertaken right from childhood as we see lot of young hypertensive with obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol with upcoming stress and faulty eating habits.  I strongly recommend that we must have BP monitoring at home and create a Kiosk for enhancing awareness of BP monitoring at public places.

Dr. H.K. Chopra, Organizing  and Scientific Chairman, WHD said that Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one killer today & Uncontrolled Resistant Hypertension is as number 1 cause of premature Heart Attack and Brain Attack and is a global Tsunami.

The theme of  WHD is  “Control Your Hypertension before it become Tsunami”  and the theme of World Heart Day is “Health of  My Heart, is Health of  Your Heart and Health of everyone’s Heart.

India is already world capital of uncontrolled Resistant Hypertension, DM, CAD and obesity today. The prevalence of hypertension is 20-40%  in urban adults, 12-20% in rural adults. 

It is 50% at the age of 50, 60% at the age of 60, 70% at the age of 70 and 80% at the age of 80. Uncontrolled Resistant Hypertension is a real disaster with a very high hypertension inflicted heart attack, brain attack, leg attack, kidney attack and  eye attack today  The study published by our group in Indian Heart Journal has shown 65% individual suffering from obesity.70% of these were  hypertensive.

Our objective is to enhance public awareness and have paradigm shift from “Illness to Wellness” and focus on primordial, primary, secondary and tertiary preventions equally.

Early diagnosis, early meticulous treatment is therefore necessary to halt the rising menace of hypertension inflicted mortality and morbidity.  

Practicing Eight s’ s say No to Salt, Sugar, saturated Fat,  Skipping meals, Sedentary Lifestyle, Smoking, stress and Sleep lack and say yes to Healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise, walking, wogging, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, skiing and following all the eight limbs of yoga Yama, (do and don’ts), Niyama (Self discipline), Asana (Postures), Pranayam (Breathing Exercise), Pratihara (Contemplation), Dharna (Concentration) Dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi (Transcendence). 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and Home BP Monitoring help us optimization of drug intervention.

Blood Pressure control is not only the domain of doctors, public and doctor partnership is the need of the hour to control rising menace of Hypertension in our country.

He appealed to the Health Minister/ Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, GOI to have policies to enhance hypertension awareness in public interest by 

1. Launching “Hypertension Care App for pubic as it was launched for doctors by IPCA at Trivandrum in July this year. 
2. Launch “Smart Hypertension Care Programme” in Public interest on TV, digital media and newspaper.
3. Encourage Hypertension check up camps in every hospital/ corporate/ schools/ colleges on monthly basis.
4. Create messages on Hypertension care through  hoarding.
5. Launch Hypertension Clinics in every hospitals.
6. Launch Hypertension Kiosk at public places just like a weighing machine

Dr. Chopra said that “Longer the waist line, shorter the BP line”.

“What we eat definitely matters but what is eating us matters more”. 

“How Long you live is alright, but how well you live with normal blood pressure definitely matters”.

 “Anybody getting Hypertension below the age of 55, It is his or her own fault”Dr. Navin C. Nanda, International President, WHD said that Higher is the prevalence of hypertension with the  higher age, and uncontrolled diabetes  in elderly. Proper lifestyle, regular  BP Checkup, proper  drugs in effective  dose as advised by the doctor should be taken  seriously. The environmental  factors including excessive stress, sleeplessness and  change in weather contribute to alarming rise hypertension.

Dr. Nanda said that  massive awareness on hypertension and its control is the  need of the  hour. He emphasized on the need of effective and meticulous Echo guided management of Hypertension  

Following legends in cardiology will be awarded with “Icon of the Century in Cardiology in the world” today.

Prof. Navin C. Nanda, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Dr. H.K. Chopra, Dr. Ashok SethDr. P.K. DebProf. K.K. Sethi Prof. K.K. Talwar Prof. Balram BhargavaDr. C. Venkata S. Ram Prof. C. N. ManjunathDr. S.K. ParasharProf. I.B. Vijayalakshmi