The National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) published its Science Advisory No. 2024-01 titled “Towards Reducing the Prevalence of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease: Predictors of Hypertension among Filipinos from the Lifecare Philippine Cohort.” Academician Dr. Rody Sy, a renowned cardiologist and member of the NAST PHL Health Science Division, authored this advisory.
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines, while hypertension is a common cardiovascular risk factor, Dr. Sy said.
Knowing the predictors for the development of hypertension will be crucial in reducing its prevalence and preventing the complications that come with it, he added.
According to the paper, which is said to be the first study in the Philippines to measure the incidence of hypertension based on a longitudinal cohort population, increasing age, male sex, family history of hypertension, abdominal obesity, low HDL-C, and high normal blood pressure were significantly associated with the development of hypertension among Filipinos in a span of 4 years.
The cardiologist said that as the study was done in only a few provinces in Luzon, the results may not be generalizable to the whole country. Selection bias of recruited participants, lack of follow-up of some participants in the second visit, and blood pressure determinations made in a single visit were limiting factors to be considered. “Nevertheless, the results provided us with an overview of the problem of hypertension in our country,” he stressed.
Through the NAST PHL science advisory, Dr. Sy recommends following a healthy lifestyle to prevent or delay the development of hypertension. He also recommends providing communities with open space and facilities for people to exercise, using active transportation, and allocating resources toward further research.
The science advisory may be accessed through https://bit.ly/
