Sikkim, Nov 26: The National Family Health Survey (2019-20) found that across states and Union Territories, at least one-fifth of women and men suffer from hypertension and that the numbers are highest among adults in Sikkim, with 35 per cent of women and 42 per cent of men having elevated blood pressure levels.
There is a considerable variation across the states and the UTs in the prevalence of both high or very high random blood glucose levels and hypertension among women as well as men, experts said at a webinar organized by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) on the key findings of NFHS-5.
According to the data, 24% of men have elevated blood pressure levels and need medicine to control it while among women it is 21%. The percentage of high blood sugar levels is 15.6 among men and 13.5 in women.
The National Family Health Survey round 5 NFHS-5 (2019-21) results for India and 14 Phase-II States/UTs were released in the form of fact-sheets of key indicators on population, reproductive and child health, family welfare, nutrition, and other health-related areas.
The findings of NFHS-5 in respect of 22 states and UTs were covered in Phase-I and released in December 2020. The obesity levels were also with 35 per cent of women and 36.3 per cent of men having a body mass index of more than25kg/m2.
Also Read: Sikkim govt bans packaged mineral water from January 1
Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal also showed high blood glucose levels among the population, the survey found.
Around 27% of men in Kerala have high blood glucose levels while it is 24.8 per cent among women. In Goa (24 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women had high blood glucose levels) while the levels were equally high in Tamil Nadu (22 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women) Andhra Pradesh (22 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women) and West Bengal (21 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women).
In Kerala, 32.8 per cent of men have elevated blood pressure levels while it is 30.9 per cent among women. In Punjab, 37.7 per cent of men have elevated blood pressure levels while the percentage is 31.2 among women. Men are more likely to have high or very high random blood glucose levels as well as hypertension compared to women across states/UTs.
Only five states where screening for cervical cancer is over 3 per cent Meanwhile, there are only five states where screening of cervical cancer is more than 3 per cent while six states show a screening test of more than 1 per cent for breast cancer.
Cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality in women and more than a quarter of its global burden is contributed by developing countries. So far, screening for cervical cancer in (30-49 age group) is more than 3 per cent in states of Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, and Tamil Nadu.
Also Read: Earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hits Mizoram, tremors felt in Bangladesh & Kolkata
Screening for breast cancer is higher than 1 per cent in Goa, Maharashtra, Manipur, Kerala, Mizoram, and Tamil Nadu.
For oral cancer among women, the screening is more than 1 per cent only in four states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
Among men screening for oral cancer is 6 per cent in Andhra Pradesh followed by Sikkim, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands (4 per cent each) and Telangana and Chandigarh (3 per cent each).
