High blood pressure alert

Up to half of baby boomers will have high blood pressure soon, report warns

Up to half of all baby boomers in Canada will have high blood pressure in the next few years – it’s a staggering number that could have devastating consequences for millions of people as well as the health-care system, warns a new report, released Wednesday by Hypertension Canada.
More than seven million Canadians currently have high blood pressure, an increase of 26 per cent from five years ago, according to the report. People with it have a much greater risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and many other serious health problems. Research has shown that high blood pressure costs the health-care system $2.4-billion a year, with an additional $166.3-million in lost productivity.