The prevalence of hypertension and heart attacks among young adults is rising alarmingly in Bangladesh, public health experts have said.
Referring to various studies, they said one in five adults in Bangladesh suffer from hypertension (persistent high blood pressure), and most of them are unaware of the disease.
The ratio is one in every four in urban areas.
Although there are no official studies on the heart attack rate among young adults in Bangladesh, physicians said about 20% of heart disease patients who visited hospitals over the last year were under 40 years old, as compared to less than 5% in 2011.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), over 112,000 people die from non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh every year, including 40,000 people from heart disease. World Heart Day 2022 will be observed in the country on Thursday as well as elsewhere across the world to raise awareness of the issue.
Terming the overall cardiovascular situation highly alarming in Bangladesh, experts said hypertension is one of the main reasons for heart attacks among young people.
“Hypertension can put extra strain on the arteries and the heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack," according to Dr Syed Mahfuzul Huq, national professional officer at the Bangladesh chapter of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In reply to a query, he said: “In many cases, there are no specific warning signs or symptoms of hypertension. However, in some cases of hypertension, symptoms like morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeats, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears may occur.”
If high blood pressure is not kept under control, there is a possibility of developing complications in some important organs of the body, including the heart and kidneys.
"Untreated hypertension can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats," he added.
Prof S M Mustafa Zaman of the department of cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University pointed out that adopting a healthy lifestyle is essential to preventing hypertension, the root cause of heart disease.
"Everyone should avoid excessive salt, abstain from foods laden with trans fats, abstain from the use of tobacco and alcohol, and reduce excess body weight,” he suggested.
“Physical exercise and staying physically active are also important,” he added.
Prof Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the department of epidemiology and research at the National Heart Foundation, said the number of patients taking treatment for heart disease in the country has been steadily increasing for several years.
Hypertension can often be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, moderate alcohol intake, staying at a healthy weight, and regular exercise, he added.
Despite the availability of advanced treatment facilities for the disease in the country, patients from marginalized communities are deprived of modern services as the services are highly urbanized, said the public health expert.
According to data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, only 29% of healthcare facilities have trained workers to treat non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.
DGHS Director Dr Masud Reza Kabir said health care facilities have gradually increased as the government is prioritizing preventing hypertension and heart diseases.
“We have provided blood pressure machines at 14,200 health clinics across the country to check hypertension. Meanwhile, treatment for heart disease is now available at all medical college hospitals,” he said.
The DGHS director said the government has established 17 urban dispensaries for the low-income group in Dhaka to help them get treatment and medicine easily.
