50% of Indian doctors have hypertension

A study, conducted by the Indian Medical Association found that 56% of doctors suffered from irregular BP at night and 21% from masked hypertension.



More than 50% physicians have been found to have uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure (BP) despite taking hypertensive medicines, owing to high-stress levels, says a study.
Hypertension is one of the most common lifestyle diseases prevalent today with one in three Indian adults suffering from it and is equally widespread in the medical fraternity. However, it is often misdiagnosed given the difference in blood pressure readings at home and in a clinical setting.
The findings found that 56% of doctors suffered from irregular BP at night and 21% from masked hypertension – a condition in which a patient’s blood pressure reading is inaccurate due to specific environments.
This masked hypertension is also associated with an increased long-term risk of sustained hypertension and cardiovascular morbidity, the study said.
“Over 50% physicians had uncontrolled hypertension despite taking hypertensive medicines. While 21% of the doctors surveyed had masked hypertension or isolated ambulatory hypertension, another 56% doctors suffered from irregular BP pattern at night making them prone to future adverse cardiac events,” said Indian Medical Association (IMA) President KK Aggarwal.