1 out of 3 French people is hypertensive today. This makes hypertension the most common chronic disease in our country.
- 17 million French people suffer from hypertension.
- Nearly 6 million adults are hypertensive without knowing it.
- High blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular problems, kidney disease and dementia.
On the occasion of World Hypertension Day (or HTA), a new article of Public Health France provides an overview of the latest French epidemiological data.
“The results compiled in this panorama come from several data sources, i.e. two surveys carried out in the general population (Esteban 2014-2016 and the Barometer of Public Health France 2019) and another carried out with a panel of general practitioners”, specify the authors of the research.
Hypertensive without knowing it
The Esteban study showed that nearly 30% of French adults were hypertensive, which corresponds to nearly 17 million people and makes this condition the most common chronic disease in France.
“Knowledge, treatment and control of hypertension remain sub-optimal in our country and have not seen any recent improvement, with some indicators even degrading”, also deplores the health agency in its report. Thus, nearly 6 million adults are hypertensive without knowing it and more than 4 million treated hypertensives do not have controlled blood pressure. And if more than 1.6 million adults start antihypertensive treatment each year, the Covid-19 crisis has had a significant impact with an 11% drop in these initiations.
“Health policies in favor of the primary prevention of hypertension, its screening and its management must be put in place quickly to allow, as in other countries, a favorable evolution of the indicators”, therefore considers Public Health France. “Because whether it involves lifestyle and dietary measures, pharmacological treatments or interventional care, the benefits of the management of hypertension have already been very clearly demonstrated. say public health experts.
Risk factor
High blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular problems, kidney disease and dementia.
The number of hours of teaching on hypertension during the training course of doctors varies from one university to another and “remains very anecdotal (sometimes less than two hours) given the frequency of this disease” finally regrets Public Health France.
