World Hypertension Day: Workplace wellness programmes to tackle disease

The World Health Organisation says hypertension is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure, putting them under increased stress.

The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to pump. Normal adult blood pressure is 120 mm Hg1 when the heart beats (systolic) and about 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes (diastolic).

One of the places where a person gets most stressed out is at office.

Here are workplace wellness programmes that help tackle disease:

• Using the stairs instead of the lift, elevator.
• Carrying home-cooked food instead of ordering take-out.
• Getting up frequently from work stations and walking around every hour.
• Staying calm under pressure and finding ways to manage workplace stress by taking a walk, deep breathing or talking it out with a colleague.

Over a billion people all over the world suffer from hypertension and it is predicted to increase by 60 per cent to 1.56 billion in 2025. It kills 8 million people every year worldwide and is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, foetal and maternal death in pregnancy, dementia and renal failure.

Two thirds of those with hypertension live in economically developing countries, including India. It is directly responsible for 57 per cent of all stroke deaths and 24 per cent of all coronary heart disease deaths in India.

Sedentry lifestyles, growing urbanization, tobacco use and fast food culture are some primary causes for high blood pressure.