Shocking: Over 5 lakh Pune men diagnosed with hypertension ; reveals survey

Data from the public health department indicates that a significant number of men in the Pune district have high blood pressure.

Under the ‘Nirogi Aarogya Tarunaiche Vaibhav Maharashtrache’ (NATVM) program, a total of 31.79 lakh men in the district underwent screening; of these, over 5.53 lakh men (17%) were diagnosed with hypertension.

Launched on September 12, 2023, the state-wide NATVM program will run through March 2024.

According to a senior PMC official, hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because it typically goes undiagnosed. It is not recognized until the patient experiences serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes etc.

The goal of the initiative is to find cases and treat the patients before they result in serious health issues. Residents who haven’t had the screening test should go to the PMC hospitals that are nearby to them. Medication, screening tests, and the entire course of treatment are all free.

As part of the NATVM program, men above 18 years of age are screened at all government healthcare facilities. Once diagnosed, they are referred for additional care, either surgical or medical. The goal of the program is to identify and treat patients as soon as possible. But in the city, the program has received a poor response.

Up to 5.53 lakh men were diagnosed with hypertension during the screening, followed by 36,000 men with diabetes and 20,000 men with heart conditions. Less than 2% of men have been diagnosed with anaemia, cataracts, cancer, or another illness.