89pc Pakistani patients fail to achieve controlled blood pressure: experts

KARACHI: A staggering 89 percent of Pakistanis diagnosed with hypertension are unable to bring their blood pressure under control, even while on prescribed medication, sparking fresh alarm among public health specialists who warn the unchecked “silent killer” is tightening its grip across the nation.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) to mark World Hypertension Day, leading cardiologists and public health officials expressed deep concern over the growing number of Pakistanis, especially young individuals, suffering from uncontrolled blood pressure, a condition often dubbed the “silent killer.”

Dr Javed Akbar Sial, Executive Director of the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD), revealed that only 11 percent of those taking antihypertensive medication are successful in managing their blood pressure. “Even in the United States, just around 14 percent of patients achieve effective control. This is a global crisis, but in Pakistan, it’s growing at an alarming rate,” he warned.

According to Dr Sial, over 40 to 50 percent of the adult population in Pakistan is hypertensive, and the disease becomes increasingly prevalent and dangerous with age. “The most fatal diseases globally are cardiac in nature, and hypertension is the biggest contributing factor. Most people don’t even realize they have it until it causes severe complications,” he said, adding that half the rural population remains unaware of their condition.

The press conference was jointly organized by SICVD, the Alkhidmat Foundation Sindh, and Discovering Hypertensiona joint initiative targeting early detection and community awareness. Officials from all three organisations signed an agreement to launch comprehensive screening programs for blood pressure and other diseases across thirty districts in Sindh.

Dr Masood Javed, Head of Discovering Hypertension, shared troubling findings from a pilot project conducted in seven districts including Naushero Feroze, Qambar, Ratodero, Dadu, and Tharparkar. “We screened over 5,000 people. Shockingly, 50 percent of the newly diagnosed patients had previously stopped taking medication, believing they had recovered. Among those still on medication, 74 percent had uncontrolled blood pressure,” he said. Only 26 percent of patients were both compliant with their medication and successfully managing their condition.

Dr Masood emphasised that individuals with uncontrolled hypertension remain at constant risk of heart attacks and strokes. He highlighted lifestyle habits such as excessive consumption of sugary drinks, lack of physical activity, and frequent intake of unhealthy street food as key contributors to the worsening situation. “Even in villages, the shift from jaggery to refined sugar and the growing availability of cold drinks are aggravating the crisis,” he noted.

Dr Tabassum Jafri, President of Alkhidmat Foundation Sindh, stressed the need to integrate hypertension and diabetes care in community health programs. “Our three mobile units provide screening services in several districts of Sindh. But awareness is critical. People must understand what hypertension is, and how to prevent it,” he said. “We must take healthcare to people’s doorsteps and change our collective lifestyle to reverse this trend.”

Discovering Hyperten-sion’s Project Director, Mujtaba Alam, said their mission is to find patients who are unaware of their health status. “Just last year, we identified 10,000 people with hypertension who had no idea they were living with this condition,” he said.

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