‘Silent killer’ concerns health professionals in Canada: Heart and Stroke survey

"I was stunned to learn from my doctor that I had hypertension," she said.

At the start of the pandemic, Toronto mother of two, Eva Lannon, traded the hustle and bustle of big city life for a calmer lifestyle in Port Hope, Ont.

“Looking at our lifestyle it was very clear to us that it wasn’t sustainable in terms of, you know, like other families running around, getting stuck on the Gardiner … it was grinding us down,” recalled Lannon.

The move has also helped Lannon live a healthier life. Upon turning 40, she learned from her family doctor during a routine physical that she had developed hypertension, which is blood pressure that is considered higher than normal. There had been no signs.

“I was stunned to learn from my doctor that I had hypertension,” she said.

Lannon was a busy working mother leading an active life so the news came as a surprise.

Almost eight million adults in Canada are affected by high blood pressure, or about one in four, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

That number is expected to rise as the population ages because risk of hypertension increases with age. At the same time, more people are being diagnosed at an earlier age.

Increasing rates of high blood pressure and associated risks are a significant concern according to a new national Heart and Stroke survey. Lack of awareness, prevention, detection and treatment, often made worse by the pandemic, were identified as essential areas for improvement to address hypertension.