World Hypertension Day highlights growing stroke burden and the hidden danger of high blood pressure
May 15, 2026
A headache that won’t go away. Feeling dizzy or unusually tired. Blurred vision that comes and goes. For many people, these symptoms are brushed aside, or never appear at all. Yet
high blood pressure, often called the “silent killer,” remains one of the leading causes of stroke, heart disease and kidney disease in Barbados and worldwide.
This World Hypertension Day, the Barbados National Registry for Chronic NCDs (BNR) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) are urging Barbadians to “Check it.
Control it. Live longer.”
New 2023 data from the BNR show that stroke continues to place a growing burden on Barbados’ health system. In 2023, the Registry recorded 624 strokes, 312 in women and 312
in men, with stroke admissions remaining consistently above the five-year average. Across the past decade, stroke rates in Barbados have risen sharply, reaching levels around 60%
higher than at the start of the decade.
The data also show that many cardiovascular events are happening earlier in life than people may expect. More than half of strokes among men occurred before age 70, while
around 40% of strokes in women affected those under 70. Men continue to experience higher cardiovascular event rates overall, but women admitted with heart attack or stroke
were more likely to die in hospital, partly because women affected tended to be older.
Globally, hypertension affects an estimated 1.4 billion adults, and nearly half may not know they have it. Left uncontrolled, high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of stroke,
heart attack, kidney disease and premature death.
For Nicole, a 47-year-old Barbadian living with hypertension, the warning signs were easy to ignore, until they weren’t. “I would go to the doctor, they would tell me my pressure was high, prescribe medication, and after a while I would stop taking it. Until one day, I became very ill and had my first stroke.” Nicole says the experience forced her to take her health more seriously. “I started exercising, looking into what I was eating, reading labels. Through the Heart and Stroke Foundation and going to my exercises, I’ve been managing my hypertension better.” Another HSFB client described her diagnosis as “more than a shock,” explaining that she once believed hypertension mainly affected older adults.
“The truth is, hypertension can affect any age. Over time, I realised that medication combined with healthy habits helps protect the body and improve quality of life.”
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados, these experiences are increasingly common.
According to Greta Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados, many people do not realise they have high blood pressure until serious complications develop.
“At the Cardiac Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation Unit, we see firsthand how uncontrolled blood pressure affects people’s lives,” said Yearwood. “Many people feel fine
and do not realise anything is wrong until complications develop. That is why routine screening, education and support are so important.”
Yearwood noted that HSFB regularly conducts blood pressure screenings at workplaces, churches, supermarkets and health fairs across the island, while also providing education on
nutrition, exercise, stress management and medication adherence. She encouraged adults, especially those over 30 or with a family history of hypertension, to
have their blood pressure checked regularly at clinics, pharmacies or community screening events.
“Managing hypertension is not only about medication,” Yearwood added. “Reducing salt intake, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking
and keeping regular medical appointments all play an important role in reducing risk.”
The BNR data show that the consequences of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease extend beyond individuals and families. Stroke patients are now spending longer in hospital than a
decade ago, creating growing pressure on hospital bed capacity. Compared with 2014, stroke admissions in 2023 generated the equivalent of almost four extra hospital beds
occupied every day of the year.
But health officials stress that many strokes and heart attacks are preventable.
“Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” said Christina Howitt, Principal Investigator of the Barbados National Registry for
Chronic NCDs. “The encouraging message is that prevention and control work. Routine blood pressure checks, early treatment and small but consistent lifestyle changes can
significantly reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.”
This World Hypertension Day, the message from both organisations is simple: know your numbers before symptoms appear. Because by the time hypertension speaks loudly, the damage may already be done.
Sources:
Barbados National Registry for Chronic NCDs (BNR), 2023 cardiovascular surveillance
briefings.
