Modernization and rapid industrialization has resulted in a great change in the life style and food habits of people. One of the negative health outcomes of all this is the prevalence of high blood pressure among human populations throughout the world. The World Health Organization celebrates 7th April as the world health day and the theme of the year 2013 is High Blood Pressure. The consequences of high blood pressure include kidney failure, heart attacks and stroke. Poverty and high blood pressure seem to be hand – in – glove in many African countries where more than 40% of adults suffer from hypertension. Same is true for rich and affluent nations. This is an enormous problem for the humanity. Simple steps taken by the care giver can prevent the situation of hypertension in many people. Reducing salt in the diet, doing regular physical exercise and taking a balanced diet are the most useful steps taken to check hypertension. WHO recommends that there is a great need to spread awareness about how to prevent hypertension and to make people aware about the grave dangers and negative health outcomes in terms of disease. Efforts at reducing hypertension would go a long way in making the humanity disease free and healthy.
Professor S. P. Singh, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Human Biology Review
Former Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences,
Punjabi University, Patiala, India