A Review on the Status of Hypertension in Six Southeast Asian Countries

Abstract

The need for better blood pressure (BP) control has been advocated for years with its high correlation to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The rise of hypertension (HTN) in several countries, particularly the Southeast Asian region, has caused the increased numbers of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Several factors have been identified that led to the rise of HTN; namely, the aging population, a lower socioeconomic status, lower educational attainment, sedentary lifestyle, a high Western diet, increasing obesity, and certain ethnicity. Although countries, such as Singapore, have better control of BP levels, most of the countries in the region have low awareness and treatment control of HTN. It is only through population-based programs in controlling raised BP that has been proven successful in HTN control. Key words: Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, prevalence, Southeast Asia