• epidemiology of cardiovascular disease
• hypertension
• mortality

High blood pressure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In fact, according to the estimations by the Global Burden of Disease project, it was the most important risk factor among women and second among men in 2016, responsible for about 90 million and 122 million disability-adjusted life-years, respectively.1 In addition to being a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as well as a key component of metabolic syndrome, it is often considered as a distinct illness on its own right.2 3

Prevalence of hypertension in Asian countries, particularly in China, is especially high. It is estimated that in this country nearly half of the adult population between the ages of 35 and 75 years has high blood pressure, with only half of these individuals are aware of their condition, less than one-third are treated and less than 10% are treated adequately.4 Considering these striking …