China hypertension drug sales seen doubling by 2010

Life Health & Fitness
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[quote] SHANGHAI, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Sales in China for drugs to treat hypertension are expected to nearly double to more than $800 million by 2010 amid higher awareness of the disease and as more Chinese are exposed to risk factors such as obesity, a U.S. research firm said.

The Chinese market for blood pressure treatment drugs, such as Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Norvasc and Novartis AG’s (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) Diovan, was worth about $440 million last year, roughly 4 percent of the U.S. market, market research firm Decision Resources said in a report released on Tuesday.

Diagnosis rates for hypertension will rise to 41 percent in 2010 from 33 percent last year, boosted by Beijing’s health education efforts, the firm said.

According to a recent study, nearly one in every five people in China is overweight or obese, partly due to a shift in lifestyle as more Chinese move to cities from rural areas, the report added.

About 10 million children from seven to 18 were overweight in 2000, up 28 times from 1985, a study published in the British Medical Journal in August showed.

China’s booming market for Western medicines will grow to $25 billion by 2010, virtually doubling from $13 billion last year, according to Boston Consulting Group. [/quote]

yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehy … urn:newsml:
reuters.com:20061011:MTFH51832_2006-10-11
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Damn man, is the whole world getting stressed out???

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As your article points out, the rise in the use of hypertension drugs will be due to better diagnosis, and due to the fact that the Chinese are falling prey to “the good life.” That means more obesity, less physical activity, they smoke like mutha-f*ckas, and their diet probably has lots of sodium or msg in it - all things that will raise the blood pressure.

[quote][url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/protect1.htm#what]Prevent high blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is not high now, take steps to prevent it from becoming high. Here¹s how:

Aim for a healthy weight.
Choose foods lower in fat and calories.

Eat smaller portions.

Try not to gain extra weight. Lose weight if you are overweight. Try losing weight slowly, about 1/2 to 1 pound each week until you reach a healthy weight.

Be physically active every day.
Eat less salt and sodium.
Read the food label. Choose foods with less salt and sodium.
Prepare lower sodium meals from scratch instead of using convenience foods that are high in sodium.
Use spices, herbs, and salt free seasoning blends instead of salt.
Use only small amounts of cured or smoked meats for flavor.
Use less salt when cooking[/url]. [/quote]

The causes of hypertension
bodo

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True and part of the reason people are fatter is that they work in sedentary job environments; they smoke to reduce stress. Diagnosis is icing on the cake.