In France, around 10 million people suffer from arterial hypertension (hypertension): this chronic disease (which corresponds to an abnormal increase in blood pressure on the wall of the arteries) affects 1 in 3 French people.
Quiet and asymptomatic, arterial hypertension is unfortunately often underestimated by patients: thus, more than a third of hypertensive patients treated stop their treatment after only 6 months, and 50% of hypertensive patients completely stop their treatment after 1 year.
However, according to doctors, poor compliance with antihypertensive treatment increases the risk of a cardiovascular event by 30% – and in particular of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
“Daily intake of antihypertensive therapy is vital”
To encourage patients treated for hypertension to follow their doctor’s advice, not to stop their treatment prematurely and to take it every day, Laboratoires Servier (in partnership with the International Society of Hypertension) have just launched a major campaign awareness campaign, called “Because I say so”.
In addition to the messages disseminated on social networks, there is also a website (www.becauseisayso.net) which encourages patients to take their antihypertensive medication properly.
We can read in particular: “taking your antihypertensive medication daily is vital for controlling your blood pressure and for good long-term cardiovascular protection, but you can forget it quickly. Like brushing your teeth, your antihypertensive medication can become part of your daily routine. And don’t forget that hypertension is a silent disease – just because you don’t feel any difference doesn’t mean you should stop your treatment!“
This awareness campaign also invites non-sick individuals to have their blood pressure checked regularly: in fact, 50% of hypertensive people do not know that they have arterial hypertension! How about we go for a doctor’s check-up?
Source: press release Servier laboratories
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