Get your blood pressure under control! - Why. #bojatakme for the sixth time!

• Hypertension continues to be a leading cause of death, accounting for the deaths of some 11 million people worldwide each year.
• Only one in two people with high blood pressure is aware of the importance of regular blood pressure measurements.
• Hypertension remains undiagnosed mainly in active people under the age of 60 who are too busy to make medical appointments.

On May 1, 2023, Servier - in cooperation with the May Blood Pressure Measurement Month campaign, implemented by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) since 2017 - inaugurated the sixth installment of the #bojatakmowie campaign. The global campaign aims to raise public awareness of the importance of controlling blood pressure. This year, the message is aimed at active people over the age of 40. This is the group least likely to be diagnosed with hypertension, which is affecting more and more young adults.

Hypertension, which is estimated to affect more than 1.2 billion people worldwide, is a leading cause of death.

According to the National Health Fund, there were nearly 10 million patients diagnosed with hypertension in Poland in 2018. A trend analysis shows that this number is still increasing. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Other complications can include heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, kidney dysfunction or vascular changes in the retina leading to visual impairment. 2018 saw the highest number of hypertension-related deaths to date, at 7,937.

Hypertension is called the "silent killer" because it often leads to serious cardiovascular disease despite the absence of symptoms. Measuring blood pressure is the only way to determine if your blood pressure is too high.

"It has been accepted that hypertension affects the elderly, meanwhile, blood pressure problems are becoming more common at a younger age. The problem is that, most often, elevated blood pressure may not give noticeable symptoms for many years, which is why preventive examinations are so important - in this case, a simple blood pressure measurement taken at home is enough. Everyone, even perfectly healthy adults, should measure their blood pressure at least once a year." - emphasizes Anna Szyndler, MD, from the Department of Hypertension and Diabetology at the Medical University of Gdansk.

Regular monitoring of blood pressure allows early detection of elevated blood pressure and implementation of appropriate treatment.

"The diagnosis of hypertension and the initiation of its therapy requires the patient to make lifestyle changes, modify eating habits and increase physical activity. Usually, however, in addition to non-pharmacological measures, there is a need to include pharmacotherapy. While maintaining the criterion of efficacy, the patient's expectations should be taken into account when choosing treatment. The effectiveness of hypertension therapy requires the patient to be responsible and consistent. It is important that the patient understands that the basis of pharmacological treatment of hypertension is the regularity of taking medication and not modifying doses on their own. If the patient does not follow the agreed recommendations with the doctor, interrupts therapy or completely discontinues medication, then he cannot expect effectiveness in the treatment of hypertension" - adds Anna Szyndler, MD, from the Department of Hypertension and Diabetology at the Medical University of Gdansk.

The #bojatakmowie is a worldwide educational campaign aimed at encouraging people to measure their blood pressure.

The sixth edition of the global educational campaign #bojatakmowie is once again directing public attention to the problem of hypertension. Its goal is to encourage recipients to motivate themselves and their loved ones aged 40+ to have their blood pressure checked, as this is a group particularly at risk of developing the condition. According to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Poles with hypertension aged 40+ and Polish women aged 55+ have a high cardiovascular risk, meaning they have a high probability of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. The campaign is being carried out on social media sites Facebook and Instagram throughout May in cooperation with the May Blood Pressure Measurement Month screening campaign.

As part of this year's Polish installment of the campaign, a special podcast was prepared for patients, "Humanely about hypertension. Diagnosis and Treatment." The guests of the podcast are Anna Szyndler, MD, from the Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdansk, and prof. Robert Gil, President Elect of the Polish Society of Cardiology, Head of the Department of Invasive Cardiology at the National Medical Institute in Warsaw, who bring listeners up to date on hypertension in an accessible manner - they talk about risk factors, sensitize listeners to what symptoms to look out for and how to recognize the condition, instruct listeners on how to measure their blood pressure correctly and how often, and warn of the complications of undiagnosed and untreated hypertension(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohQqjPXzqM).

"The #bojatakmię campaign is part of the broad educational activities implemented by Servier Poland, which aim to build public awareness among Poles about the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the risks associated with them. Given the fact that undiagnosed and untreated hypertension leads to a number of dangerous complications, we are trying to encourage people to take regular blood pressure measurements, knowing that in this way one's health or even life can be saved," stresses Robert Pociupany, director of Servier Polska's Medical and Patient Affairs Department.

Source: press mat.