May Measurement Month 2022: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from India

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases, contributing significantly to global morbidity and mortality. Hypertension is becoming a major public health challenge in India, fuelled by urbanization, changing dietary habits, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was carried out in India in 2022 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Here, we report on the campaign findings. Adults aged ≥ 18 years were recruited opportunistically at screening sites (hospitals, camps, villages, etc.). Three seated BP readings were taken for each participant, along with completing a questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or being on antihypertensive medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on antihypertensive medication with a BP < 140/90 mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate any missing BP readings. In total, 61 811 adults were screened, with a mean age of 43.1 years and 43.2% were female. Of all participants, 17 119 (27.7%) had hypertension, of whom 5835 (34.1%) were aware, and 4364 (25.5%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 2914 (66.8%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 17.0% had controlled BP. In total, 14 205 (23.0%) participants had either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. The MMM22 campaign in India again identified significant numbers of participants with either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive public health initiatives to improve BP detection and management in the population.