Millions of people with high blood pressure are unaware
Responding to World Hypertension Day May 17, cardiovascular experts continue to warn about a worrying paradox in public health care today: hypertension is a disease that is very easy to detect, there are many effective treatments, but the rate of patients diagnosed and controlled blood pressure reaching the target is still low.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Chien, Deputy Head of Cardiovascular Intensive Care Department, Central Military Hospital 108 said: In the context of modern medicine having made many outstanding advances in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure is still silently the leading cause of stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure and kidney failure in Vietnam as well as worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), high blood pressure is called a "silent killer" because most patients have almost no obvious symptoms for many years.
This is one of the most easily detectable diseases. With just a standard blood pressure monitor and a few minutes of performing the correct technique, people can completely detect the disease early at home or at initial medical facilities.
However, in reality, the rate of missed diagnosis is still very high. Many epidemiological surveys in Vietnam show that a large number of adults still have high blood pressure but have never been diagnosed or do not know they have the disease," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Chien added.
Also according to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Chien, the biggest cause is subjective psychology. Many people only go for examination when complications such as chest pain, shortness of breath, heart failure or more seriously stroke have appeared. Many patients are hospitalized due to stroke when they first realize they have high blood pressure. This is regrettable because if detected early, most complications can be completely prevented.
It is noteworthy that high blood pressure is no longer a specific disease of the elderly. Work pressure, prolonged stress, staying up late, lack of exercise, obesity, salt-eating and alcohol abuse are causing more and more young people to get sick earlier than before.
Many treatment advances but low blood pressure control rates
In recent years, the treatment of hypertension has had many significant changes. Faced with the reality of increasing chronic diseases and rejuvenation, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be a key solution to help people proactively monitor their health, while effectively reducing the burden on the health system.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Chien added that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to effectively support doctors and patients. AI does not replace doctors but can act as a "medical assistant", supporting continuous health monitoring between examinations, helping to detect risks early and reduce the burden on the health system.
The birth of AI assistant Kolia marks a new step forward of "Made in Vietnam" technology in supporting the care of chronic patients, especially hypertension. Developed by OSP AI Technology Joint Stock Company, Kolia aims to turn health monitoring into a daily habit through a digital platform on the phone. Users can take pictures of blood pressure meters, prescriptions or examination results for AI to automatically store data, remind them to take medicine, measure blood pressure and personalize health monitoring.
The highlight of Kolia is the application of multi-agent AI technology developed by a team of Vietnamese engineers, and also optimized for Vietnamese people, including the elderly. The system also helps relatives monitor health remotely and receive warnings when there are abnormal signs.
Kolia has the professional companionship of leading cardiovascular experts to ensure medical accuracy during operation," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Chien analyzed.
On the occasion of World Hypertension Day May 17, experts recommend that people, especially after the age of 30 and people with risk factors, should have their blood pressure measured periodically. Hypertension can be effectively controlled if detected early and treated properly, avoiding subjectivity with this "silent" but dangerous disease.
