High blood pressure is now part of daily life for a large share of Mumbai's adults. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), close to 30% of adults in the city have hypertension. In May 2025, the BMC stepped up its response with a "Salt and Sugar Awareness" initiative, which aims to help people read food labels and eat less processed food.
Why hypertension matters
Hypertension, the medical name for high blood pressure, is often called a silent killer. It can do damage for years without obvious signs, and it is one of the main causes of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, loss of vision and decline in memory and thinking. Worldwide, it is one of the most common long-term conditions behind deaths.
BMC executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah has stressed that high blood pressure can be controlled well with the right treatment and changes in lifestyle, but only if it is found early.
One in three, and many do not know
A BMC survey carried out about five years earlier found that almost one in three adults in Mumbai had hypertension, and that many of them did not know it. To find these people sooner and start treatment in time, the BMC began a door-to-door screening drive in 2023.
What the screening found
- 25 lakh adults aged 30 and over were screened.
- 1.4 lakh of them had raised blood pressure.
- Since 2022, more than 4.9 lakh people have had their blood pressure checked at Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) corners in 25 civic hospitals.
- 1.16 lakh patients are currently being treated at BMC clinics and hospitals.
The BMC points out that many more people with high blood pressure either go to private doctors or have not yet started any treatment, which is why awareness and easy access to care matter so much.
Too much salt
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 5 grams of salt a day. In Mumbai, people eat an average of 9 grams a day, close to twice that limit. Eating this much salt is directly linked to higher blood pressure and a greater risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
Younger people are not immune
Hypertension is increasingly being found in people in their 20s and 30s. The usual contributors are:
- inactive, desk-bound lifestyles
- poor diet
- growing stress
- smoking and alcohol
- changes to how hypertension is diagnosed, which now pick up cases at lower readings
Dr Chhaya Vaja, a general physician at Apollo Spectra Mumbai, told the Free Press Journal that stress, smoking and alcohol account for nearly 20% of high blood pressure cases among young adults. She also warned that many of them have no symptoms at all, which makes regular check-ups vital.
No symptoms does not mean no problem
The biggest obstacle to controlling hypertension is that most people feel perfectly well. Many only find out after something serious happens, such as a heart attack or stroke. That is why both civic health authorities and doctors are urging people to have their blood pressure checked regularly.
The BMC's salt and sugar campaign
The campaign sets out to:
- explain the harm that too much salt and sugar can do
- get people into the habit of reading food labels
- encourage healthier food choices that help prevent lifestyle diseases
It ties in with the theme of World Hypertension Day 2025, held on 17 May: "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer".
What you can do
You can lower your risk, or bring high blood pressure under control, often with lifestyle changes first, with your doctor's advice:
- check your blood pressure regularly and know your numbers
- keep salt below 5 grams a day
- eat fewer processed and packaged foods
- cut down on sugar
- be active for at least 30 minutes a day
- do not smoke, and keep alcohol to a minimum
- manage stress with yoga, meditation or counselling
- have regular health check-ups, especially if you are over 30 or high blood pressure runs in your family
If your doctor prescribes medicine, take it exactly as advised, and keep checking your readings.
What employers can do
People spend a large part of their waking hours at work, which makes the workplace a good place to find and manage high blood pressure:
- Run blood pressure screening at the workplace, and help employees with high readings to see a doctor.
- Look at the canteen. Reduce salt in cooking, offer fruit and less-processed options, and show salt and sugar content where possible.
- Teach label reading in a short toolbox talk or wellness session.
- Tackle stress. Reasonable workloads, regular breaks and supportive supervision all help.
- Encourage movement with stretch breaks, stairs and walking meetings.
- Plan for emergencies. Hypertension raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, so make sure trained first aiders are available on every shift and everyone knows to call 112.
Know your numbers
High blood pressure is a major public health problem in Mumbai, affecting older adults and a growing number of young people. Found early and managed with lifestyle changes and the right treatment, it can be brought under control, and much of the harm it causes can be prevented. The BMC's screening and its salt and sugar campaign are important steps, but the most important step is yours: get your blood pressure checked.
Our Diet and Nutrition training, Stress Management training and Yoga programme support healthier habits at work. To arrange a session, write to info@eduforce.in or message us on WhatsApp at 8779291591.
This article is for general awareness and does not replace medical advice. In an emergency, call 112.
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