First of its kind national study by IMA, HCFI & Eris Life sciences

In what can be called as a massive feat, the Indian Medical Association, in partnership with the Heart Care Foundation of India(HCFI) and Eris Life sciences in the form of an unconditional educational grant attempted to record the maximum number of ambulatory blood pressure readings amongst the medical fraternity in a single day. About 20,000 readings were taken of 533 doctors including those of the IMA leadership spanning 33 Indian cities. Hypertension is one of the most common lifestyle diseases prevalent today with one in three Indian adults suffering from it. The incidence of hypertension is equally high amongst the medical fraternity owing to high-stress levels. Often hypertension is misdiagnosed given the difference in blood pressure readings at home and in a clinic.

 

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) can help in getting a more accurate picture of a person's BP pattern in a span of 24 hour. Over 50% physicians had uncontrolled hypertension despite taking hypertensive medicines,” said Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA.Dr Shashank Joshi, President Hypertension Society of India opined, "Your doctor may suggest ABPM for the following reasons: to find out if your blood pressure readings are higher in the clinic than at home; to see the efficacy of your medicines in controlling blood pressure throughout the day, or to note whether your blood pressure increases at night.Increasing your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and omega-3 foods can help lower your high blood pressure levels. It is also a good idea to consume sprouted or 100% whole grains. Try to reduce your sodium intake, which does not necessarily come only from table salt or salt added while cooking. Processed and ultra-processed foods are the real culprits behind increased sodium intake.