Pressure’s on: High blood pressure tops Thailand’s health charts

[snoop1130]

 

High blood pressure has muscled its way to the top of the health pile, becoming the most common condition treated under Thailand’s universal healthcare services in 2023. That’s the latest from the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which has revealed the nation’s pulse.

 

NHSO’s top doc, Jadet Thammathataree, spilt the beans on an eye-watering 99.7 billion baht budget allocated for the fiscal year 2023, set aside to care for the 47.727 million Thais who qualify for the gold card scheme. That adds up to a tidy sum of 3,385.98 baht per person.

 

Breaking it down, 1,344.40 baht went to outpatient services, with inpatient care costing 1,477.01 baht per head. The gold card scheme, affectionately dubbed the gold card service, was a hive of activity with a whopping 170.39 million outpatient visits in 2023. That’s a sharp rise to 3.63 visits per person per year, up from just 2.45 when the scheme kick-started in ’03!

 

The outpatient top 10 is a who’s who of health woes: high blood pressure, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, lipoprotein metabolism issues, flu, chronic renal failure, soft tissue bothers, tooth decay, indigestion, muscle niggles, gingivitis and periodontitis took the spotlight.

 

In the realm of inpatient care, 6.09 million visits were clocked under the scheme—leaps and bounds from 4.30 million in those early years. Bangkok Post reported that patients mostly grappled with gastritis, pneumonia, kidney troubles, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, thalassemia, cerebral infarction, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and urinary hiccups.

 

“This data reflects people’s access to comprehensive and widespread treatment, which reduces financial burdens,” said Jadet. “Furthermore, it is crucial public health information and empirical data that can be used in healthcare promotion and disease prevention campaigns to lessen illnesses in the future.”

 

The statistics don’t just paint a picture of the scheme’s ever-expanding reach, they signal the shifting landscape of health challenges confronting Thais en masse. It’s a loud and clear call for ramped-up healthcare promotion and preventive strategies to nip these health grievances in the bud.

 

By Bob Scott

Picture courtesy of Dianetes UK

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-11-04

 

 

[teacherofwoe]

You are what you eat.

[pattayasan]

fish sauce

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

muscle niggles

haha,whats that?

 

high blood pressure is over-diagnosed maybe? 

[john donson]

[Fortean1]

Also, the blood pressure devices in hospitals are not reliable.  I've experienced this also at private hospitals.

[digger70]

3 hours ago, Fortean1 said:

Also, the blood pressure devices in hospitals are not reliable.  I've experienced this also at private hospitals.

Most devices are pretty good ,not much different than the one I use at home .

Most times the measurements are not taken when the body is at rest , 

Normally one should be at rest/relax before the measurement is taken that's what my Doc said she prefers at least 15 Min

What about BP for us Old Fellows, 

Blood pressure at age 70 is recommended to be kept at 134/87 mmHg. According to some studies, the blood pressure of 70-year-old people usually ranges from 121/83 mmHg - 147/91 mmHg.
To measure blood pressure most accurately, you should let the patient lie down, relax, should rest for about 5-10 minutes before taking the measurement. Time to measure blood pressure for the elderly is about 10 minutes, should be measured in both hands.

[watchcat]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

High blood pressure has muscled its way to the top of the health pile, becoming the most common condition treated under Thailand’s universal healthcare services in 2023.

 

Eat fatty oily food combined with salt and sugary drinks, thats wat you'll  get. And of course lack of exercice.

 

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, digger70 said:

blood pressure at age 70 is recommended to be kept at 134/87 mmHg.

 

No.

 

Elevated blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure between 120 and 129 with a diastolic pressure of less than 80.

High blood pressure is defined as systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 80 or higher

 

For older adults, often the first number (systolic) is 130 or higher, but the second number (diastolic) is less than 80. This problem is called isolated systolic hypertension and is due to age-related stiffening of the major arteries. It is the most common form of high blood pressure in older adults and can lead to serious health problems in addition to shortness of breath during light physical activity, lightheadedness upon standing too fast, and falls.

 

     --High Blood Pressure and Older Adults

[whiteman]

Every time I go to have my bloods taken the so-called nurse take my bp   b4 I can sit down eg walking from the car to the nurse station.

 

Sometimes I have to remind her to lift up my sleeve b4 she starts to take the reading this is in a private hospital and bugger me they charge me 260 Bhat for the privilege. My reading is around 145 over 65 at the hospital. When I take it at home b4 I leave to go for the blood test it is around 115 over 62 I am 77 years young, and my partner is a qualified nurse. I take bp meds Normetec (Pfizer) 10 mg/40mg one pill which I buy from the local chemist not the hospital.

 

 

[digger70]

17 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

No.

 

Elevated blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure between 120 and 129 with a diastolic pressure of less than 80.

High blood pressure is defined as systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 80 or higher

 

For older adults, often the first number (systolic) is 130 or higher, but the second number (diastolic) is less than 80. This problem is called isolated systolic hypertension and is due to age-related stiffening of the major arteries. It is the most common form of high blood pressure in older adults and can lead to serious health problems in addition to shortness of breath during light physical activity, lightheadedness upon standing too fast, and falls.

 

     --High Blood Pressure and Older Adults

What do you mean by NO?

Because different Docs and different People studies  have a different opinion what is Normal or not for a 70 yr old male ? 

 

According to some studies, the blood pressure of 70-year-old people usually ranges from 121/83 mmHg - 147/91 mmHg.  Blood pressure at age 70 is recommended to be kept at 134/87.  

[Lacessit]

Thais are not noted for strenuous exercise, which helps prevent high blood pressure.

 

It's also possible hypertension is over-diagnosed, due to white coat syndrome.

 

I have a monitor at home. My average blood pressure is 110/60 with 25 mg of Losartan. Pulse 55 bpm

 

Any time I get near a clinic, hospital or doctor, it shoots up to 145/80. Pulse 75 bpm.

[BigStar]

Just now, digger70 said:

What do you mean by NO?

 

Your recommendation is inaccurate. I'm going by the latest recommended standard.

 

The standard doesn't depend on a particular study or doc as you believe. It depends on what recognized, established organizations accept.

 

In 2017, new guidelines from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other health organizations lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) to 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and higher for all adults.

     --https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/reading-the-new-blood-pressure-guidelines

 

I think you confuse "average" with "recommended," that is, desirable. But you may continue strongly to insist on your own standard, at least for yourself. I'm following the guidelines above, without meds, and suggest others try to do so as well.

 

[Letseng]

On 11/5/2024 at 9:56 AM, Fortean1 said:

Also, the blood pressure devices in hospitals are not reliable.  I've experienced this also at private hospitals.

My doc at Bumrungrad measures it himself with the manual device. My BP tends to be normal when he does it.

Too high with any of the automatic devices.