Chile: where action on hypertension is saving lives

In Chile, more people die from cardiovascular disease than from any other cause. More than a quarter of all deaths every year – around 30 000 in total – are due to the disease.

Hypertension – also known as high blood pressure – is a serious medical condition and a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. People living with hypertension have persistently raised pressure in their blood vessels, which results in their hearts having to work much harder.

Most people with hypertension are unaware of the condition because there are usually no warning signs or symptoms. That is why it is sometimes called a “silent killer”. While hypertension can be detected quickly and easily by a health care professional, far too many people are unaware that they are suffering from this condition or are at risk.

Around one in four men and one in five women live with hypertension in Chile – equivalent to more than four million people. Fortunately, rates of hypertension have been steadily declining during the past years.

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