World Hypertension Day is observed every year on May 17, and this year’s theme is “Know Your Numbers,” the agency said. The day is an initiative of the World Hypertension League and aims to raise hypertension awareness around the world, and encourage people to prevent and control it by measuring their blood pressure, it added. Hypertension is also a risk factor for diabetes, kidney disease, eye disease and other chronic diseases, HPA Chronic Disease Control Division Director Chia Shu-li (賈淑麗) said. “Hypertension has no initial symptoms, so we hope that people will measure their blood pressure regularly,” said Lin Hung-ju (林鴻儒), Taiwan Hypertension Society secretary-general and an attending physician at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Division of Cardiology. HPA Director-General Wang Ying-wei (王英偉) said people with blood pressure of more than 140/90 millimeters of mercury is considered as hypertensive and should seek medical treatment.

Source: Taipei Times May 15, 2018 15:56 UTC