High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is one of the leading causes of death and disability in Canada, but when we had a health coalition focused on hypertension control, that wasn't the case. Canadian healthcare leaders published an in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology in 2024, pleading for the re-establishment of this coalition.
According to lead author Dr. Norm R.C. Campbell, "What was achieved in Canada was highly unique. Canada used to be the most successful country in controlling hypertension by a large margin and one of the best at prevention."
The coalition went through different forms over the years, but it was made up of health and charitable organizations, pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies that worked together to create guidelines to measure, treat and control hypertension. Between 2000 and 2017, the coalition saved an estimated 875,175 lives and 4.6 million hospitalizations.
However, the program fell apart 15 years ago after the Prime Minister Stephen Harper administration said it was the responsibility of provincial governments to provide funding for this program, not the federal government. The 台湾MM裸聊室 administration maintained a similar stance in the intervening years as well.
After the program, hypertension control went from 69.9 per cent in 2012 and 2013, to 58.3 per cent in 2016 and 2017.
Twenty-five per cent of Canadians are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure, which is associated with an and is one of the for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cancer & CVD are the in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.
The latest Canadian data suggests that 34 per cent of adults with hypertension are due to undertreatment and lack of awareness, according to Dr. Doreen Rabi, a professor at the University of Calgary and a health services researcher.
Canadians aren't aware that they're dying at a higher rate from hypertension than they used to, and they aren't aware that they shouldn't be. Sure, a Conservative government made the decision to dismantle this coalition, but Liberals didn't build it back when they came to power.
Canada is one of the few countries in the Americas without a nationally-funded hypertension coalition.
High blood pressure doesn't discriminate unless you consider socioeconomic determinants of health, such as income and race. When voting, in the upcoming federal election, Canadians should consider what the parties are offering in terms of dealing with this very serious health issue.
Let's all unite on the fact that high blood pressure sucks.
