Five percentage points: that is how much the share of J&K women with elevated blood pressure, or on medication for it, rose between the last two National Family Health Surveys. It went from 20% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 25% in NFHS-6 (2023-24), while the all-India figure for women fell from 21.3% to 19.4%, Greater Kashmir reports. The figures are for adults aged 15 and above and cover J&K as a whole; the report gives no Jammu-district breakdown.
The other figures
- J&K men: 18.9% in NFHS-5, 20.9% in NFHS-6.
- The report also says one in two urban women in J&K carries excess weight (it gives no earlier figure to compare).
What the doctors say
Dr Irfan Bhat, a consultant interventional cardiologist at GMC Srinagar, said: "Genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger." He called for early screening for all adults, especially anyone with a family history of hypertension, smoking or obesity. Mohammad Salim Khan, former head of community medicine at GMC Srinagar, said many people do not know they have it: "They are sitting on a time bomb."
The report notes that hypertension often has no noticeable symptoms and can go undetected for years. It lists an unhealthy diet, inactivity, stress and heavy salt intake as contributors, and links uncontrolled hypertension to stroke, heart disease and kidney damage.
What this means for you
Nothing in the report says young adults are in crisis, and it should not be read that way. The takeaway it supports is simple: a blood pressure reading takes minutes, and the doctors quoted want every adult to have one on record. If you have a family history, smoke or are overweight, ask a doctor how often to repeat it.
Photo: file photo of a blood pressure check, by Kris D, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Source: Greater Kashmir, November 2, 2026.
