Hypertension: Check your numbers and join a photo contest

A blood pressure reading below 120/80 mmHg is normal, while a reading of 120-129/ 80-84 mmHg is considered “high normal.” You are pre-hypertensive if your blood pressure is 130-139/85-89 mmHg.

But watch out! Should the blood pressure reading breach those numbers, you are hypertensive and need to consult a physician so that the condition can be remedied. You suffer from Stage I Hypertension if the readings fall in the range of 140-159/90-99 mmHg and are in even greater peril from the consequences of high blood pressure if you reach Stage II, when blood pressure readings are greater than, or equal to, 160/100 mmHg.

 “One out of four of the adult population in the Philippines suffers from hypertension,” says Dr. Dante Morales, president of the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), at a forum held on World Hypertension Day. “The prevalence of hypertension continues to rise every year.” Statistics indicate that one in three deaths in the country is due to cardiovascular disease, where the underlying cause is hypertension.  

Ideally, the heart pumps with just enough force so that blood is effectively pushed to supply the farthest reaches of the body. Blood pressure is highest as it leaves the heart through the aorta, and decreases as it reaches the smaller vessels further away. With high blood pressure, it is easy to understand that the increased force can damage the blood vessels or cause organ damage. Uncontrolled blood pressure can ultimately lead to heart attack, congestive heart failure, kidney damage, peripheral vascular disease, aortic aneurysms, and a host of other complications.

One dangerous aspect of high blood pressure is that it is usually asymptomatic (showing no symptoms). It can happen that those who have the condition are unaware that they have it until complications have already set in. This explains why hypertension has been called “the silent killer.”

Dr. Morales lists environment, globalization, urbanization, stress, and an aging population as predisposing factors for increased incidence of hypertension. Likewise, poverty and low patient education lead to poor compliance, so that the complications of the condition progress. “Only 20 percent of those receiving treatment are able to achieve blood pressure control,” Dr. Morales reveals.

The kidney is one of the organs most commonly affected by high blood pressure. And thus, Dr. Leilani Mercado-Asis, Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM) immediate past president, encourages Filipinos to take a more proactive role in maintaining their health. “Regular blood pressure monitoring and periodic blood sugar testing, particularly for individuals at high risk for diabetes, is important,” she says.

To promote greater awareness on blood pressure and blood sugar control, a photo contest sponsored by Novartis is noteworthy. Christine F. Liwanag, corporate affairs and market access director for Novartis Healthcare Philippines, says that this is in line with the company’s Kaagapay program, which aims to enhance patient care and access to effective treatments.

The photo contest is likewise a public health initiative of Novartis Healthcare Philippines and the Philippine Society of Hypertension in collaboration with Philippine Heart Association, Philippine Society of Nephrology, Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Department of Health. The first prize winner will receive P30,000 while the second and third prize winners will receive P15,000 and P10,000, respectively

The mechanics of the contest are as follows.

• The photo contest is open to Filipinos and local residents, 18 years old and above. Participants must fill out and submit an online entry form by logging on to the Novartis Philippines website www.novartis.com.ph, Picture of Health, Facebook Fanpage www.facebook.com/WHDpictureofhealth.photocontest, and Twitter account www.twitter.com/WHDpicofhealth

• Photo entry can be taken by a mobile phone camera, SLR/DSLR camera, or digital “point and shoot” camera

• Photo entry should creatively answer the question: “What can I do to reach and maintain my target blood pressure below 140/90 and blood sugar level below 100 mg/dl?”

• A short caption (less than 100 words) should accompany the photo.

• Photo entries may be submitted through e-mail to pictureofhealth.whd@gmail.com, regular mail, or special courier to Novartis Healthcare Philippines, Salcedo corner Gamboa Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City.

The contest period is from May 17 to July 18, 2011. Deadline for submission of entries is midnight of June 18, 2011.

Key criteria for judging are: Creativity (25%), composition/overall Impact (25%), relevance (25%), and photo caption (25%).

The panel of judges will be composed of the presidents/heads of PSH, PHA, PSN, and PSEM; a DOH representative; and key Novartis officials.