The Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Unit of the Ministry of Health has revealed that hypertension/high blood pressure (HBP) is responsible for 70% of the total deaths in Sri Lanka.
The Director of the Unit, specialist Dr. Samiddhi Samarakoon highlighted findings from a 2021 survey on NCDs. The survey showed that 34.8% of the population in the country is affected by HBP. Dr. Samarakoon also pointed out that 64% of people diagnosed with HBP are not taking any medication to manage their condition. She explained that in the early stages, HBP often doesn’t show any symptoms, and that sometimes, a stroke is the first sign.
In some cases, it can lead to a heart attack. HBP is also a major contributor to kidney disease, Dr. Samarakoon noted. She further stated: “According to our data, about 70% of the deaths in the country are due to diseases caused by HBP. We conduct a survey in Sri Lanka on NCDs every five years. According to the 2021 data, 34.8% of the population suffers from HBP. About 64% of these individuals don’t use any medication for this condition. Only about 18% of them are aware that they have HBP, which is a very dangerous situation. The percentage of newly diagnosed patients is 54.7%. However, only 14% of people who have been diagnosed with HBP have it under control. This is a very alarming situation”, she added.
Dr. Samarakoon also shared her views on ways to protect against HBP. She mentioned that in addition to hospitals, there are smaller units called the Healthy Lifestyle Centres (‘Suva Divi Clinics’), though these units have very few patients. Dr. Samarakoon emphasised the importance of measuring BP at least once a year and pointed out that, for men, lifestyle factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol can have a very harmful effect on BP. She also stressed that patients should engage in regular physical activity, as it is crucial for managing the condition.
Medical specialists yesterday (14) warned about the high consumption of salt among Sri Lankans, adding that reducing salt consumption is vital to reduce hypertension, a leading cause of a number of serious diseases. They noted that although only five milligrams (mg) of salt is recommended for a person per day, statistics show that a Sri Lankan consumes up to 13 mg of salt a day. This was noted during a press briefing held by the Health Ministry’s Health Promotion Bureau to mark the World Hypertension Day 2025 which falls on 17 May. They explained that high-salt and high-oil food, and sedentary lifestyles, are also key risk factors when it comes to hypertension.
“If you are above the age of 35, get the BP checked,” the Ministry’s NCDs Directorate’s community medicine specialist Dr. Shilanthi Seneviratne said. She explained that despite the fact that one in three adults in Sri Lanka have hypertension, around 50% of them are not aware of it, while only about one-third of those who have been diagnosed have hypertension under control.
“Hypertension is called a silent killer because, in many cases, a person can perform their usual activities without showing symptoms despite having HBP. But, when the BP is high, it gradually damages important organs of the body such as the heart, the brain and the kidneys. Such damage can result in untimely deaths,” she said, adding that keeping hypertension under control can help prevent several serious diseases such as heart attacks.
Meanwhile, the Kelaniya University’s Ragama Medical Faculty’s Professor of Pharmacology Chamila Mettananda stated that if systolic blood pressure (the top number, which measures pressure when the heart beats) can be reduced by 10 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number, which measures pressure when the heart rests between beats) by five mmHg, it is possible to reduce the risks of heart failure by around 40%, paralysis by around 30-35%, heart attacks by around 20%, overall cardiovascular diseases by around 15-20%, and all-cause mortality by around 15-20%.