May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening campaign results from India

Raised blood pressure (BP) is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases that makes a major impact on early mortality and morbidity. Recognizing hypertension in the community, educating people about routine BP monitoring, and improving medication compliance are all important steps in detecting, controlling, and managing hypertension. During the course of 5 months, members of the Indian Society of Hypertension organized unique medical indoor and outdoor camps at 100 screening locations around India for the May Measurement Month (MMM) 2021 study. At every location, BP was measured three times, and a questionnaire was completed. Participants known to have hypertension before the study whether taking or not taking treatment were not included (not a normal pre-requisite for exclusion in MMM). The analysis included 15 045 participants in total. After calculating the average of the second and third BP measurements, 16.4% of participants were found to have hypertension based on ≥140/90 mmHg thresholds (2461 out of 15 045). 14.0% of females and 16.4% of males had hypertension. 16.4% of participants had undiagnosed hypertension and were not receiving treatment. The MMM screening campaign has the potential for identifying large numbers of people with undiagnosed hypertension and raising awareness of the importance of raised BP among the general public, medical professionals, policymakers, the government, and the media. Future BP screening campaigns should be larger in scope and involve follow-ups with past participants.