Blood Pressure Screenings to Reduce Worldwide Cardiovascular Disease & Death

An estimated 900 million people in developing countries have high blood pressure, but a mere one-third are aware of their disease. Further, only 100 million of these people receive treatment, while only 5% of the total cases are controlled.  Thomas Gaziano, from Harvard University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues report that a 25% increase in high blood pressure screening in 19 developing countries would reduce the number of cardiovascular disease events and deaths that occur each year by up to 3% in these countries. Furthermore, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of these screening programs were found to be well below one times GDP per capita in the 19 developing countries assessed.