http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/study-nearly-a-third-of-the-worlds-population-has-high-blood-pressure/424112/

“The high and increasing worldwide burden of hypertension is a major global health challenge because it increases morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and kidney diseases and financial costs to society,” the authors concluded. “Implementation of innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable programs for hypertension prevention and control should be a public health priority for these [low- and middle-income] countries.”