In the profile drawn up by the WHO, using data from 2019, there are 2.7 million adults between 30 and 79 years old with high blood pressure, being more prevalent in men (37%) than in women (28%).

According to the document, for Portugal to achieve a control rate of 50%, it would be necessary to effectively treat more than 69,000 hypertensive people.

If the progress scenario were achieved, 16,000 deaths could be avoided by 2040, according to the WHO, which calculated 32,600 deaths caused by hypertension in 2019.

Hypertension affects one in three adults worldwide, leading to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, kidney damage and other health problems.

“Hypertension can be controlled effectively with simple, low-cost medication regimens, and yet only one in five people control it,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, quoted in a statement on the report.

Old age, genetics and poor eating habits can increase your risk of high blood pressure, but a healthier diet, stopping smoking and being more active can help reduce blood pressure.