World Hypertension Day, 17 May 2025 | Significance & Theme

Pace Hospitals

World Hypertension Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 17th of May every year, intending the communication of increased blood pressure significance to people in addition to explaining the impact of hypertension in the development of serious medical complications and providing a piece of knowledge on prevention, detection and treatment.

To achieve the above goals, various local and global healthcare organizations, media, healthcare professionals and volunteer organizations come together to provide resources for spreading awareness.

Currently, hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or more and/or diastolic blood pressure of more than 80 mmHg as per American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Significance of World Hypertension Day (WHD)

Hypertension is called the silent killer as it gradually increases in the body, due to which the development of various cardiovascular disorders such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure. It gives no warning signs or symptoms whatsoever.

Affecting over 100 crore adults worldwide, the population suffering from hypertension accounts for up to 45% of the adult population. Hypertension is consistent across all socio-economic and income strata, and its prevalence rises with age.

Hypertension has been the leading cause of death and disability-adjusted life years worldwide since 1990, according to a global health survey report. The number of people with hypertension is anticipated to increase by 15-20%, reaching close to 150 crores by 2025.

It is better to cut the problem even before it starts, just as it is better to reduce hypertension rather than to deal with the complications it tends to bring. To achieve this, World Hypertension Day was established, which focuses on spreading awareness of hypertension.

World Hypertension Day 2025 Theme

This year, 2025, The World Hypertension Day theme is "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer". This theme emphasizes the crucial need for taking regular and accurate blood pressure readings as the cornerstone for efficient hypertension management and living longer, healthier lives. This campaign is to increase global awareness about the hazards of high blood pressure, improve reliable measurement steps, and advocate proactive management, particularly in low- and middle-income populations.

This is the theme that has been repeated since 2021. The theme's persistence emphasizes the importance of a proper hypertension diagnosis. To raise hypertension awareness, the Pan American Health Organization launched a free online course on reliable automated blood pressure (BP) measurement to assess BP monitor accuracy in 16 languages.

Year By Year Themes for World Hypertension Day

World Hypertension Day 2024 Theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.
World Hypertension Day 2023 Theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.
World Hypertension Day 2022 Theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer
World Hypertension Day 2021 Theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer
World Hypertension Day 2020 Theme: Know Your Number
World Hypertension Day 2019 Theme: Know Your Number
World Hypertension Day 2018 Theme: Know Your Number

Barriers to the Measurement of Blood Pressure

Measuring blood pressure can be challenging due to patients' inherent characteristics and behaviours. The clinical staff noticed a wide range of behaviours displayed by the patients, although not purposeful but could disrupt BP measurement.

The various patient-related barriers interfering with obtaining high-quality BP measurements, which include but are not limited to:

Absence of firm plantation of both feet on the floor (not crossed, dangling, etc.).
The lowered placing of the patient’s arm and the palm was not facing up during the measurement.
Immediate measurement of BP as soon as the patient walked into the clinic
The patient did not sit upright with their back supported
The patient was talking during the BP measurement
The cuff was improperly placed (not directly on the skin during BP measurement)
Only obtaining one reading, even if the initial reading was more than equal to140/90 mm Hg
The patient was moving during the measurement
Application of incorrect cuff size to take measurement

A study estimated that at least 10-50% of hypertensive patients reported normal blood pressure outside when compared to clinics and hospitals. Although it could be attributed to “white coat hypertension” - the sudden increase of blood pressure during a doctor’s visit probably due to anxiety, it could also be due to the aforementioned barriers leading to falsely elevated BP measurements.

Falsely BP measurements could lead to unnecessary escalation or initiation of hypertensive medications, which bring their adverse effects with increased costs. The above barriers can be easily overcome, which helps the healthcare team to accurately measure and diagnose hypertension.