DHAKA, Jan 10, 2024 (BSS) - Women are more significantly at risk of high blood pressure than men and this risk is greater in obese women. While obese women have double risk of high blood pressure compared to women of normal weight. There may be various reasons to this end. However, experts believe that decrease in physical activity of women can also be one of the reasons.

A recent study said that prevalence of high blood pressure among men aged 25 will increase by eight percent within 2025. While among women of the same age, the rate of high blood pressure will increase by 13 percent.

A study in 2015 found that 40 percent of women are overweight and obese. And 58 percent of women over 35 are overweight or obese.

According to a report of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2011 and 2017-18, the prevalence of hypertension among the 35-year-old and above population has increased significantly. It increased from 20 percent to 34 percent among men and from 32 percent to 45 percent among women. While 24 percent of normal weight men have high blood pressure and 42 percent of obese men, a little bit less than double. Moreover, normal weight women have an incidence rate of 25 percent and obese women have almost double this rate; 49 percent. 

Over 10 million people worldwide die from high blood pressure every year, which is more than all infectious diseases combined. Bangladesh also falls in the midst of the silent hypertension epidemic.

Public Health and Informatics Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Associate Professor Dr. Md. Khalekuzzaman said, "We did a study on the lifestyle of slum dwellers in 2015. I saw that 40 percent of women are overweight and obese".

Secretary General of Association of Surgeons for Sleep apnea, Bangladesh Dr. Monilal Aich Litu said, "A problem that has arisen awfully is many people are getting fat. There are three epidemics in the world and obesity is one of them. Billions of people are getting fat. At least six countries have imposed tax on sugar as carbohydrates are called the white poison. So we have to keep our weight under control."

Hypertension Control Program Deputy Manager at National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute Dr. Shamim Zodder mentioned several reasons. 

"Women are more likely to be screened, that's why they are more likely to be identified. Whenever a woman becomes pregnant, she visits physician for health check-up and comes under screening. More women go to the upazila health complex than men for any physical problem, means women are getting more screening. Another thing is that there are more women than men of the total population. Besides, mental pressure also works to this end," he said.

Experts say unhealthy food habits such as excessive salt (sodium) intake with food, saturated fat and foods with trans-fat, tobacco and alcohol consumption increase the risk of high blood pressure. Unhealthy lifestyles, such as physical inactivity, being overweight, stress, and not eating enough fruits and vegetables, can also increase the risk of high blood pressure.

Program Manager of High Blood Pressure Control Program at National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan said, "There are different types of exercises. Easy exercise is walking. If it is 30 minutes a day, then it will 210 minutes a week. If it's not possible, there I suggest 150 minutes a week".

According to Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the number of people with high blood pressure in Bangladesh was 3 crore in 2020, currently it is 3.20 crore. It will reach 3.8 crore by the year 2030. High blood pressure is one of three main causes of death and disability in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, 277,000 people die annually from heart disease, one of the main causes is high blood pressure.

According to WHO, five lakh people die of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh every year, almost half of them are due to heart disease.