Karachi: Pfizer Pakistan is proud to support World Hypertension Day 2015under which individuals, public and private sector organizations and governments can raise awareness and unite in the fight against this disease. Long-term untreated high blood pressure can damage the arteries and vital organs throughout the body, leading to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and serious vision disorders. Pfizer’s theme developed to celebrate World Hypertension Day this year is “Steady BP for a healthier life”.
A well-monitored blood pressure is vital to the functions of all organs in a human body. Known as the silent killer in the medical community, hypertension or in easier words, high blood pressure is a condition which may lead to severe cardiovascular and heart related complications. Increased Blood Pressure Variability (BPV) is associated with development, progression, severity of cardiac, vascular and renal organ damage, and with an increased risk of CV events and mortality, independently adding to CV risk, over and above the contribution of elevated mean of BP levels1.
“Early detection is key; all adults should know their blood pressure. The risk of developing high blood pressure can be minimized by, cutting down on use of salt, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco use. For many people, lifestyle changes are sufficient to control blood pressure. For others, medication is required. Poor adherence to anti-hypertensive therapies substantially increases near long term risk of stroke and organ failure among patients,” said Prof. Zia Yaqub, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).
Country Manager, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Dr. Farid Khan on this occasion said, “Pfizer is committed to educate and highlight symptoms and conditions caused by high blood pressure and to communicate information on prevention, detection and treatment to the general public.”
According to Prof. Zia, recent evidence shows that increased visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of stroke and coronary events, independently of mean blood pressure. High blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. Controlling high blood pressure, together with other risk factors, is the main way to prevent heart attack and stroke. In hypertensive patients with Blood Pressure Variability, the most effective approach to preventing stroke is to use BP-lowering drugs which reduce both mean BP and BPV.