Prevalence of Hypertension and its Risk Factors among Urban Sikh Population of Amritsar

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, stroke and myocardial infarction, and its burden is increasing disproportionately in developing countries as they undergo demographic transition. Hypertension is responsible for 57% of stroke deaths and 24% of coronary heart disease deaths in India. The sample size of 1089 subjects was calculated. This study focused on Urban Sikhs living in the Amritsar, Punjab, India as they constitute 70% of the total population of Amritsar according to 2011 census report. The prevalence of hypertension has increased during the last decade. The high prevalence of hypertension (35.9%) in this study, confirms this increasing trend. It is necessary to adopt appropriate preventive strategies and interventions in high risk individuals to curb the growing epidemic of hypertension.