Globally cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately 17 million deaths a year, nearly
one third of the total (1). Of these, complications of hypertension
account for 9.4 million
deaths worldwide every year (2). Hypertension
is responsible for at least 45% of deaths due to
heart disease (total ischemic heart disease mortality is shown in Fig. 1), and 51% of deaths due to
stroke (total stroke mortality is shown in Fig. 2). (1)