Cagayan Valley – More than one in every three senior citizens in Cagayan Valley is living with hypertension, making the region the highest in the country in terms of high blood pressure prevalence among older adults, according to the 2025 Updating Survey of the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).
The survey found that 34.5 percent of adults aged 60 years and above in Cagayan Valley have hypertension, exceeding the national prevalence of 28.2 percent. The region was followed by MIMAROPA (33.5%) and the Bicol Region (32.4%).
The same survey identified obesity as the leading risk factor for hypertension, with 44.5 percent of Filipino adults classified as overweight or obese, increasing their likelihood of developing high blood pressure.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition in which the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries remains consistently too high. Often called the "silent killer," it usually has no obvious symptoms but gradually damages the heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels if left untreated.
According to health experts, hypertension develops due to a combination of risk factors, including aging, obesity, unhealthy diets high in salt and saturated fat, lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, chronic stress, family history, diabetes, and kidney disease.
A growing public health concern
Health experts warn that uncontrolled hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, and vascular dementia.
In the Philippines, cardiovascular diseases remain the country's leading causes of death, according to Philippine Statistics Authority Data. Ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) continue to rank among the top causes of mortality, with hypertension being one of their most important contributing risk factors.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that hypertension contributes to about 7 million deaths every year, underscoring the importance of early detection and proper management.
How can hypertension be prevented?
Health authorities recommend maintaining a healthy weight, eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing salt and processed food intake, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, managing stress, and undergoing regular blood pressure monitoring, especially among older adults.
The findings of the DOST-FNRI survey highlight the growing burden of hypertension among senior citizens in Cagayan Valley and underscore the importance of healthy lifestyles, early screening, and effective management to prevent serious complications and improve quality of life.
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