Srinagar, May 18: Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is swiftly becoming a major public health issue in Kashmir, with doctors warning it is silently impacting a large segment of the population, including young adults and schoolchildren.
Medical experts described hypertension as a “silent killer” because it often develops without noticeable symptoms while gradually damaging vital organs and increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and other life-threatening complications.
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Dr Mohammad Salim Khan, Head of the Department of Community Medicine at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, said hypertension has become the most prevalent non-communicable disease and is affecting nearly every third or fourth person.
“The lifestyle changes, including high consumption of salt, oils and fats, fast foods, sugars, along with a sedentary lifestyle, minimal physical activity, stress and addiction to tobacco, alcohol and narcotics, are major risk factors pushing people towards hypertension at an early age,” he said.
Dr Khan warned that hypertension and pre-hypertension are no longer limited to older people, stating that adolescents and even children are increasingly being diagnosed with the condition.
Doctors expressed concern that many people remain unaware they are suffering from high blood pressure until serious complications develop.
Highlighting Kashmir-specific dietary habits, Dr Khan said excessive consumption of traditional salted tea and bakery products is significantly contributing to the growing burden of hypertension.
“Noon Chai consumption by Kashmiris is one of the major contributors to hypertension in the Kashmiri population. Further, local bakery products, particularly kandur tchot, also contain considerable amounts of salt,” he said.
Doctors noted that while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than five grams of salt intake per day, many people in Kashmir consume nearly double or triple that amount through traditional foods and eating habits.
Dr Aabid Hussain from the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) said hypertension largely remains undetected because it often does not produce obvious symptoms.
“Every third or fourth adult in our area has hypertension, but almost half remain unaware of their condition,” he said, adding that poor control of blood pressure among diagnosed patients remains another major concern.
According to doctors, increasing screen time, lack of outdoor activities, unhealthy eating patterns and mounting stress levels are accelerating hypertension cases among younger generations.
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The doctors stressed the need for mass awareness programmes in schools, colleges and workplaces to educate people about healthy lifestyle choices and preventive measures. They advised adults to get their blood pressure checked regularly and recommended reducing salt, sugar and oil intake alongside maintaining an active lifestyle to lower the risk of hypertension and related complications. (KNO)
