BURDEN IN THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA
REGION
High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for
death claiming 1.5 million lives each year in the
Region.
One in three adults in the Region has high blood
pressure.
Males have a slightly higher prevalence of high
blood pressure than females in almost all
countries of the Region.
In the 10 countries from which data were
available, the prevalence of high blood pressure
ranged from 19% in Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea to 42% in Myanmar.
Prevalence of hypertension is increasing in many
countries in the Region. In India, raised blood
pressure increased from 5% in the 1960s to
nearly 12% in 1990s, to more than 30% in
2008. In Indonesia, the percentage of adult
population with raised blood pressure increased
from 8% in 1995 to 32% in 2008. In Myanmar,
the Ministry of Health reported an increase in
high blood pressure prevalence, from 18% to
31% in males, and from 16% to 29% in females
during 2004–2009.
Ageing population, rapid urbanization and
transition from agrarian life to a wage-earning,
modern city life are reported as major
contributors to increased blood pressure in urban
areas.