KARACHI: Hypertension in young children is a growing concern in Pakistan, where the prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents has increased significantly in recent years.

According to a study published in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, the prevalence of hypertension among children aged 5-15 years in Pakistan is around 12.6%.

Several factors contributed to hypertension in young children in Pakistan, including a family history of hypertension, the rising trend of childhood obesity, an unhealthy diet with high intake of salt, sugar, and saturated fats, physical inactivity, air pollution, stress, as well as low socioeconomic status and lack of access to healthcare.

These concerns were raised by leading cardiologists and health experts while highlighting the growing incidence of cardio-metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes in Pakistan.

“Hypertension or high blood pressure is now a growing problem among children in Pakistan, but we often do not check it, so we don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. If we start screening our children and teenagers, especially those who are obese, smoking, and physically inactive, we can identify a significant number of hypertensive kids and teenagers,” revealed Prof Abdur Rasheed, Secretary General of the Pakistan Hypertension League (HPL).

Calling for early detection and diagnosis to address hypertension in young children in Pakistan, he emphasized healthy lifestyle modifications, including a balanced diet, regular physical activity, management of associated conditions like obesity and diabetes, and access to healthcare and antihypertensive medications if necessary.

“Education and awareness among parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers are essential because by addressing hypertension in young children, we can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications later in life,” he added.

Prof Dr Tahir Saghir, Executive Director of the NICVD in Karachi, confirmed that the number of young people having heart attacks is on the rise in Pakistan.

He said people are becoming diabetic at an early age, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Of the 1,000 people brought to us for heart attacks, 50 to 100 are very young, between 20 and 30 years of age,” said Prof Saghir.

The NICVD executive director points out that the consumption of a high-calorie diet is causing weight gain among people due to a lack of physical activity.

He advises people to control their weight, eat a healthy diet, and ensure proper sleep at night to remain healthy and avoid contracting diabetes and hypertension.

Dr Somia Iqtidar, a leading physician and professor of medicine in Lahore, said that people as young as 25 to 29 years of age are experiencing heart attacks in Lahore.

“We are witnessing an early onset of diabetes and other metabolic problems, including hypertension, which is leading to cardiovascular diseases in Lahore and other parts of the country. Obesity and smoking are other risk factors causing heart problems in young people,” she said.

“These days, we are observing a significant increase in hypertension cases among young adults in Pakistan, largely stemming from sedentary lifestyles characterized by physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, excessive salt and sugar intake, and smoking,” said Dr Junaid Patel, a professor of medicine at the Indus Hospital in Karachi.

“It is alarming to see individuals as young as 16-18 years old experiencing dangerously high blood pressure levels, leading to strokes and heart attacks,” he added.

Pakistan Hypertension League Patron Prof Muhammad Ishaq said that there are around 33.2 million people with hypertension in Pakistan, of which around 18.59 million are undiagnosed.

“Only 5.11 million are currently receiving treatment for hypertension, and of them, just 1.61 million have their hypertension under control,” Prof Ishaq added.

He blamed a lack of awareness among the masses as the major cause of the high prevalence of hypertension in Pakistan and vowed to launch a massive drive in May to screen people for hypertension and advise them to improve their lifestyles to control their blood pressure.

We are going to involve nurses, healthcare workers, and common people in our “Discovering Hyper-tension” drive, he said, urging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce salt intake, exercise daily, and avoid smoking to live a healthy life.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024