7 cr Indians suffer from hypertension: Expert

Puducherry, Dec 16 (UNI) As many as seven crore people in India suffer from hypertension, Senior Cardiologist of Madras Medical Mission, Dr J Ezhilan, today said.

Inaugurating a Continued Medical Education (CME) Programme on 'Current Concepts in Management of Hypertension' here, he said only 75 per cent of the seven crore people were aware they were suffering from the disease and only 50 per cent were on medication.

If hypertension was not properly treated, it would affect the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes,he cautioned Thirty years ago, there were only four tablets to treat the disease. But now as many as 75 tablets, which could be used on different types of patients, were available, he said, adding, if properly treated, the disease could be kept under check.

UNI