Some 26 percent of high blood pressure sufferers in Vietnam, which has a population of over 83 million, are not aware about thedisease, the newspaper quoted a recent survey conducted by local doctors.

    A healthcare establishment alone, the Trung Vuong Hospital in southern Ho Chi Minh City, received over 2,250 turns of hypertension patients in 2005.

    The disease, a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140over 90 mmHg, which can cause blood vessel changes in the back of the eye (retina), abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, kidney failure, and brain damage, can shorten lifespan of patients 10-20 years. Enditem