Summary and interpretation of the World Health Organization “Global Report on Hypertension”

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the first document of “Global report on hypertension—The race against a silent killer”. which covers the global prevalence and management of hypertension, analyzes the mortality and disease burden caused by hypertension, explores the risk factors for hypertension, evaluates the cost-effectiveness of blood pressure treatment, and presents successful examples of hypertension management in many countries, especially the global implementation of the WHO-launched HEARTS project for hypertension control. Hypertension is a significant global public health challenge with severe health implications. Over the past 30 years, the number of people with hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication) has doubled, rising from 650 million in 1990 to 1.3 billion in 2019. Among the global hypertensive population aged 30-79, approximately 54% have been diagnosed, of which 42% are receivin