Are you among India's wealthiest? Be careful, you may have hypertension

Hypertension is responsible for at least 45% of deaths due to heart disease and 51% of deaths due to stroke globally, according to WHO

Nearly 13% women and 18% men aged 15-49 in the highest stratum of the wealth index have hypertension (high blood pressure), according to data from the National Family Health Survey, 2015-16 (NFHS-4).

This is the first time the NFHS has included the measurement of blood pressure.

The wealth index was calculated on the basis of ownership of various consumer goods, such as a television, bicycle or car, and housing characteristics, such as source of drinking water, toilet facilities, and flooring material. Households are categorised into five equal groups called quintiles.