 Hello, I am Dr. Abhishek, consultant cardiologist at Manipal Hospital, Gazeba. Today I am here to make you aware of the risks related to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Hypertension can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, renal failure, brain strokes, sudden loss of vision, etc. In India, hypertension is one of the most common diseases in adults and as per the data available, around 22 crore of Indian population in adult segment is having hypertension. The issue here is that more than 50% of these patients don't even realize that they are having the disease. The worst part is that even the patients who are taking treatment, in them also, only 12% of the patients are having their blood pressure in the normal range. So what is the reason for this ignorance or negligence? The simple answer here is that in the initial phase, this disease is totally asymptomatic. Most of the patients don't have any symptoms in the initial phases. In later stages of the diseases, when the blood pressure is very high, patients can have dizziness, headache, blurring of visions, ringing sounds and ears. Thus, it is very important to keep on monitoring your blood pressure regularly, despite not having any symptoms. The main risk factors for the disease are older age, family history of hypertension, obesity, increased salt intake in diet, sedentary lifestyle, consumption of alcohol, tobacco, smoking, and associated diseases like diabetes, hypothyroidism or kidney diseases. To prevent hypertension from developing, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And by healthy lifestyle, we mean regular exercise, especially aerobics, taking diet which is rich in fruits and vegetables, and is low in salt and saturated and trans fats, cessation of smoking, moderation of alcohol, avoiding prolonged setting, losing excess weight is also an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If already a hypertensive, then you should take your medicine regularly on time as has been described by the doctors, along with regular BP monitoring so that it remains in control along with the lifestyle modification has has already been prescribed. Thank you.