Over the last 30 years Samoa shows the ninth largest increase in high blood pressure among women, according to a first-time global analysis of hypertension trends.

The data was published late last month in The Lancet medical journal.

The study shows that since 1990, the number of people living with hypertension or high blood pressure has doubled to 1.28 billion.

The ninth largest increase in hypertension cases for Samoa occurred among the women according to study. The nation ranks number nine among the top 10 countries with the largest increase in hypertension prevalence between 1990 and 2019.

The rank is based on a percentage point increase.

Of the 10 countries listed, four of them are Pacific nations with Kiribati at the top of the list at number one. It is the country with the largest increase in hypertension prevalence among its women.

Tonga comes in a very close second and Tuvalu is at number three; Indonesia is in number four, Brunei Darussalam is at five, Haiti at six, Jamaica is seven, Myanmar in number eight, Samoa is ninth and Uzbekistan is number 10.

“The number of adults aged 30-79 years with hypertension has increased from 650 million to 1.28 billion in the last thirty years, according to the first comprehensive global analysis of trends in hypertension prevalence, detection, treatment and control, led by Imperial College London and W.H.O., and published today in The Lancet. Nearly half these people did not know they had hypertension,” a joint statement from the World Health Organisation and Imperial College London said.

“Hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart, brain and kidney diseases, and is one of the top causes of death and disease throughout the world. It can be easily detected through measuring blood pressure, at home or in a health centre, and can often be treated effectively with medications that are low cost.”

The study, conducted by a global network of physicians and researchers, covered the period 1990-2019. 

It used blood pressure measurement and treatment data from over 100 million people aged 30-79 years in 184 countries, together covering 99% of the global population, which makes it the most comprehensive review of global trends in hypertension to date.

By analysing this massive amount of data, the researchers found that there was little change in the overall rate of hypertension in the world from 1990 to 2019, but the burden has shifted from wealthy nations to low- and middle-income countries. 

The rate of hypertension has decreased in wealthy countries – which now typically have some of the lowest rates – but has increased in many low- or middle-income countries.