HYDERABAD-Medical experts have observed high blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer” has reached an alarming stage in Pakistan as 46 percent of the population is suffering from this disease.
They were addressing the silver jubilee annual symposium of Pakistan Hypertension League Organisation, held here at a local hotel on Saturday.
Symposium Convener Prof Syed Faseeh Hashmi informed that according to a survey, about nine out of every 20 Pakistanis were suffering from high blood pressure and the proportion of young people among such citizens was now higher than ever.
According to medical experts, he said, the situation was alarming especially because of the severe lack of satisfactory medical facilities in the country, even in many urban areas while the situation was worse in rural areas.
Long-term high blood pressure could predispose a person to various heart and kidney diseases, he said, adding that it might also cause medical consequences such as hemorrhage and stroke.
He underlined the need of creating awareness among the people about the use of healthy food, care, and prevention in order to control the spread of the disease.
Prof Feroze Memon said about 52 percent of the population in Pakistan was suffering from high blood pressure while 42 percent of the victims do not even know how they became hypertensive patients.
He said high blood pressure was often called the “silent killer” by medical experts because there were no visible symptoms of high blood pressure, which could help detect it at its early stages. 
Prof Abdus Samad said, “If a person has a family history of high blood pressure, the risk is higher for the concerned person. If a person is also suffering from other diseases, such as diabetes, various kidney diseases, high cholesterol and various thyroid diseases, then the risk of high blood pressure also doubles.” The medicines taken to treat such diseases could also cause high blood pressure, he informed.