high blood pressure (hypertension) in canada: stats, impact and resources

what is high blood pressure (hypertension)?

high blood pressure (hypertension) stats in canada

according to a 2023 report from statistics canada , hypertension affects almost one in four canadian adults and is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death. the number is expected to rise as the population ages because risk increases with age.

the most recent national survey covering all facets of hypertension in canada was conducted in 2019 , looking back at data from 2012-2015. the report shows:

• approximately 24 per cent of men and 23 per cent of women between the ages of 20 and 79 were diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension).
• in the 70 to 79 age group, 71 per cent of men and 69 per cent of women were identified as hypertensive, which is nearly triple the rate found in the 40 to 59 age group, where 25 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women were hypertensive.
• between the periods of 2007-2009 and 2012-2015, the overall high blood pressure (hypertension) rates among individuals aged 20 to 79 stayed relatively constant, at around 23 per cent based on crude estimates and 18 per cent when adjusted for age

in the world health organization’s 2023 hypertension profile for canada , it highlights control rates of 61 per cent. more detailed data among men and women aged 30-79 shows:

• 80 per cent diagnosed
• 76 per cent treated
• 64 per cent controlled

• 75 per cent diagnosed
• 71 per cent treated
• 57 per cent controlled

as the outreach organization hypertension canada reports , more than 90 per cent of canadians will develop high blood pressure (hypertension) if they live an average lifespan. and alarmingly, more people are being diagnosed at an earlier age.

“after plateauing early in the 2000s, canadian hypertension treatment and control rates have declined in the past decade, largely in women. renewed collaborative efforts by key stakeholders are urgently needed to address this increase in preventable risk for cardiovascular disease,” researchers note in the canadian journal of cardiology .

other research led by the same authors showed that hypertension control rates in women declined from 68.9 per cent in 2012 to 2013 to 49.2 per cent in 2016 to 2017 while the rate was sustained in men.

heart and stroke has put resources into investigating the gap in research, diagnosis and care for women in heart and brain health which has shaped public awareness. national polling data revealed that nearly 40 per cent of people in canada don’t realize that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of premature death in women. these are still viewed more as a men’s health problem, which is something that needs to change, researchers say.

impact of hypertension on canadian society

the antihypertensive medications to keep it controlled are not expensive, but the volume of those prescriptions is part of the exploding costs to the healthcare system. in 2010, the annual cost linked to hypertension was estimated at $13.9 billion with the total expected to rise to $20.5 billion by 2020, according to statistics canada .

resources and support available for high blood pressure (hypertension) in canada

• hypertension canada
• heart and stroke foundation
• pulmonary hypertension association of canada

but less recognized is the fact that women have unique risk factors that need to be studied and understood so that health-care providers will screen them appropriately and check their blood pressure. one example is that women can develop high blood pressure during pregnancy (about seven per cent of pregnancies in canada) that can increase risk of hypertension in later years. hypertension canada published guidelines for hypertension management in pregnancy in 2018.

another difference for women is that the hormone estrogen has a protective effect on women’s heart and brain health. women who have gone through menopause may have a greater risk of hypertension because of changing hormone levels and weight gain, the mayo clinic notes.

the future of high blood pressure (hypertension) in canada: lifestyle, nutrition and the need for more education

campbell co-authored papers that outline the merits of the nationwide hypertension control program that canada launched in 2000. it brought in annually updated management recommendations that became part of standardised primary care resources and training.

“our control rates are going down. but around the world, countries are generally improving their hypertension control. because it’s such a global problem, world health organization (who) has developed some packages on how to actually improve blood pressure. but canada has not adopted them,” says campbell, who has acted as a consultant for who and other international organizations. he also was awarded the order of canada in 2014 as a champion of the prevention and control of hypertension – he’s passionate about making positive change.

the who’s hearts program offers simplified interventions that are done systematically at the primary care level , including lifestyle counselling, an algorithm for evidence-based treatment protocols, and systems for monitoring. the pan american health organization has helped governments in the americas implement hearts with a lot of success. a community intervention project in cuba in 2016, for instance, served a population of about 26,000 people and improved the hypertension control rate by almost 20 per cent in a year.

campbell also flags the success of the kaiser permanente northern california hypertension program which has a similar framework that improved hypertension control – going from 44 per cent in 2000 to 90 per cent in 2013. this july, the american heart association recognized 21 kaiser permanente northern california hospitals with awards for delivering top cardiac and stroke care. severe heart attacks in patients have been reduced by 72 per cent with a team-based, preventive approach.

canada does have hypertension guidelines in place , updated every five years, which are part of hypertension canada’s knowledge translation program to make sure clinicians and patients can access best practices. however, there’s no longer a concerted national strategy for hypertension control with government and other stakeholders involved.

what is prevalent is the focus on providing individualized treatment in canada and adoption of new technology and procedures like renal denervation that targets overactive nerves that supply the kidneys so the artery relaxes and blood flow to the kidneys can be restored. delgado says two of his patients with hypertension that is resistant to medication control have benefitted from the novel procedure.

he points to actions like putting warning labels on unhealthy foods, taxing unhealthy foods to make them more costly or subsidizing healthy foods. then there’s really putting legs on the country’s healthy food procurement policy. “the government’s telling us to eat healthy, but they’re buying and selling foods that are unhealthy. now, they should be internally consistent. any public dollar should only be spent on something that’s consistent with canada’s healthy eating guide .”