Around three in 10 adults in Shanghai suffer from hypertension and more than half of them are unaware of their condition, the city’s health commission said yesterday, National Hypertension Day.

The commission has organizedweeklong consultation and education programs to raise awareness of high blood pressure and its risks.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. About 70 percent of stroke-related deaths and 50 percent of fatal heart attacks are closely related to the condition.

“Early detection of hypertension is very important, as people over 35 years old should check their blood pressure regularly,” said Dr Fan Min from Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. “About half of people with hypertension don’t have symptoms and they are unaware of their disease until suffering serious complications like stroke, heart attack, blindness and kidney failure. Hypertension can cause damage toorgans and blood vessels.”

Doctors said people should adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent and control hypertension.