Check your blood pressure and, if it is high, take treatment to bring it under control
For every 10 mmHg reduction in blood pressure, major cardiovascular problems fall by about 20%, stroke by 27%, heart failure by 28% and death by 13%. Among Chinese adults aged 35–75, 44.7% had hypertension, and only 7.2% of those affected had it controlled.
What it takes
In China, an electronic monitor costs RMB 100–200. A reading takes 1 minute. Most blood-pressure medicines cost a few to a few dozen renminbi monthly. The challenge is continuing treatment even without symptoms.
What you may gain
An analysis of 123 trials involving more than 610,000 people found that each 10 mmHg reduction in systolic pressure—the higher of the two readings—reduced major cardiovascular events by about 20%: RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.77–0.83. Stroke fell by about 27% (RR 0.73), heart failure by about 28% (RR 0.72), and all-cause mortality by 13% (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.91). Screening 1.7 million people aged 35–75 in China found hypertension in 44.7%. Among those affected, 44.7% knew they had it, 30.1% were receiving treatment and just 7.2% had it controlled.
Context & considerations
Start with one blood-pressure check. Fewer than one in ten Chinese people with hypertension have it controlled, making that first measurement one of this book's highest-value actions. Whether a particular target should be 130 or 140 remains debated; the value of recognizing and treating hypertension does not.
Research & references
Ettehad D et al. (2016). Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01225-8 ; Lu J et al. (2017). Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in China (China PEACE Million Persons Project). Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32478-9