Overview
- World Hypertension Day, observed Sunday, puts prevention and early checks front and center for a condition that often has no warning signs.
- A WHO report counted 1.4 billion people living with hypertension in 2024 and found 99 of 195 countries with control rates below 20%.
- Clinicians explain that persistent high pressure damages kidney blood vessels and filters, which drives chronic kidney disease and can lead to irreversible failure.
- Advice for patients includes regular blood-pressure monitoring, less salt and ultra-processed food, tight control of diabetes and obesity, and caution with over-the-counter anti-inflammatories that can injure kidneys.
- New guidance elevates supervised strength training, with Brazil’s 2025 cardiology guideline placing resistance exercise on the same footing as aerobics for lowering blood pressure.