An estimated 300 million Chinese live with high blood
pressure, with annual medical bills totalling 31.89 billion yuan (around 4.88
billion dollars), said Hu Shengshou, head of China’s National Center for
Cardiovascular Diseases.
“The chronic condition has become a leading cause of death
and disability in China,” he said at a national conference on hypertension
prevention and control at the weekend.
According to the World Health Organisation, hypertension can
cause serious damage to the heart, including heart attacks, heart failure,
irregular heartbeat, kidney damage, and burst or blocked arteries, which can
lead to strokes.
A recent report on Chinese residents’ chronic diseases and
nutrition showed that the prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes and high
cholesterol among Chinese aged 18 and above have respectively climbed to 27.5
per cent, 11.9 per cent and 8.2 per cent.
China plans to launch a pilot programme in its communities
in January to synergise the fights against high blood pressure, high blood
sugar and hyperlipidemia, aiming to improve the management, treatment and
control of the conditions.
The programme is expected to cover 200,000 people and expand
to 34 districts and counties by 2022, said Cai Jun, the official in charge of
the programme.
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