The prevalence of hypertension among people aged 35 to 74 has reached 27.2 percent, putting the blood pressure of 130 million adults above the normal level, indicated the study jointly conducted by researchers from China, the United States and Australia.

Compared with previous studies, the researchers found both the prevalence rate and the number of hypertension patients in China had increased rapidly.

The number climbed from 30 million to 94 million in the 1960-1991 period.

"The worst thing is that increasing rate of hypertension among young people is much higher than among the elderly," said Prof. Gu Dongfeng from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, who is in charge of the study.

"If no preventative measures are taken, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases caused by hypertension will inevitably rise in China," said Gu.

Cardiovascular diseases had become the leading killer in China, he said.

"On average, two to three people die of strokes every minute in China, of which hypertension is a significant cause."

Gu blamed an unhealthy lifestyle and diet -- including high intake of salt, sugar and high-calorie food, less physical exercise, smoking and alcohol abuse -- in association with a faster pace of life and greater pressures, as major causes of the hypertension epidemic.

The professor said routine physical check-ups and a change of lifestyle were effective in the control and prevention of hypertension, but it seemed that not many people were aware of that.

Fifty-five percent of hypertension sufferers knew nothing about their own condition. Less than 30 percent of people who knew they were ill took appropriate medication, only 10 percent of whom successfully controlled their blood pressure at the safe level, the research showed.

Gu said the government should rank hypertension among key public health problems.

A national health education program should be launched to enhance hypertension check-ups in communities and clinics, and to improve public awareness of the disease.

The research was conducted among nearly 20,000 people in 10 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities between the year 2000 and 2001, providing the latest data of prevalence, treatment and control of hypertension in China, Gu said.

( August 30, 2002)