Millions May Have Undiagnosed Diabetes, Hypertension Worldwide

High blood pressure can damage blood vessels for years without noticeable symptoms, raising the risk of stroke and heart attack; the World Stroke Organisation links hypertension to more than half of strokes worldwide. Health experts urge regular screening because feeling healthy does not rule out hypertension. In England, estimates suggest about 4.1 million people have undiagnosed high blood pressure, though a study adjusting clinic readings to better predict out-of-office measurements found a lower prevalence than clinic readings alone suggested, with substantial differences by sex and region. Undiagnosed hypertension is also a concern among young adults in Malaysia: more than eight in 10 Malaysians aged 18 to 29 estimated to have the condition were unaware, and experts say abnormal screening results need proper follow-up.