Men between the age of 25 to 35 need to meditate more, as a study finds, 26 percent of men and 22 percent of women have reported of pre-hypertension.

According to the study by Indus Health Plus revealed, if left untreated, it would develop into hypertension eventually, leading to stroke or cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The sample size for the study was 19103 people who underwent preventive health check-up during January – December 2016.The report states that over 90 percent Delhiites don’t know that hypertension is a silent killer however it was found that women were more aware and thoughtful about hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was observed to be high especially among men in the age bracket of 35-45 years with diabetes mellitus. 28 percent of men were found to be diabetic, which has a direct correlation with hypertension.

Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus said, “Hypertension is increasing in Delhi. 29.4 percent urban population and 18.8 percent rural population have hypertension. While those from urban areas blamed work pressure and job insecurity for rising levels of stress and eventually hypertension, people from semi-rural and rural area blamed the increasing cost and increased in-house expenditure.”

Adding, “If not treated on time, hypertension can lead to heart problems, renal and multiple organ failure. A timely and routine check-up can reduce the risk of Hypertension.”

Key findings from the survey:

# In rural parts of Delhi, increased use of tobacco in the form of beedi, khaini, gutka and alcohol are posing threat to the younger population. 25 percent males and 18 percent females from the age group of 20-30 years are at higher risk of hypertension due to their habits.

# In urban areas, 35 percent younger population of the age group 25-35 years is at higher risk of hypertension due to a sedentary lifestyle.

# The basic reason for high blood pressure is atherosclerosis. 45 percent men and 40 percent women from the age group of 40-60 years have atherosclerosis, putting them at high risk of hypertension.

# It was also observed that 50 percent of people who were diagnosed with hypertension had a family history of BP and heart diseases. Out of these, from the age group of 45-55 years, 32 percent men and 28 percent women were obese and 31 percent men and 29 percent women were diabetic. They are at high risk of heart diseases and strokes.

# Seven percent of senior citizens who came for check-up were found to be hypertensive and diabetic.

Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure (BP) =140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP =90 mmHg, while pre-hypertension is a systolic BP 120–139 mmHg. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, Hypertension. One can control Hypertension by doing Yoga and meditation on regular basis.