The fight against hypertension requires an action plan to improve the management of this civilization disease in the Slovak population, where every other resident suffers from this diagnosis. The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with key medical experts, developed a concrete action plan for 2025 and 2026, for the systematic management of this disease in Slovakia. Hypertension, high blood pressure, is the most common civilization disease. In Slovakia, 1.35 million patients are diagnosed and treated for high blood pressure, but it is estimated that over 2 million people suffer overall from hypertension.
Experts estimate that every other Slovak has raised blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure presents a risk of serious complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, visual impairment, kidney failure or heart failure. Treatment of the consequences of untreated high blood pressure is also significant in the state. Hospitalization of the patient after a myocardial infarction costs approximately 8 thousand euros. Prevention is also cheaper in this case than treatment of medical complications related to untreated hypertension.
High blood pressure is one of the most common diagnoses treated in ambulances by general doctors, internalists or cardiologists. It is a silent killer who has long damaged the heart, blood vessels, kidneys or brain, vision, sexual function, and often without any symptoms. –Hypertension is the most important, easy to diagnose, well controlled risk factor for the entire spectrum of cardiovascular diseases. It is paradoxical that it nevertheless seems to be underestimated by patients, doctors, as well as by setting up the system itself, says doc. MUDr. Eva Gonçalves, CSc., FESC, FHFA LF UK and NÚSCH Cardiology Clinics.

Hypertension is therefore not only a health problem for the individual but also a social economic burden for the state. In 2022, more than 14,700 patients with myocardial infarction were hospitalized in Slovakia. The cost of one patient in the acute phase is around EUR 8 000, which means that only this diagnosis cost public health insurance nearly EUR 120 million. In the event of a stroke, the cost is similarly higher than EUR 6 000 per hospitalised. These are the consequences of chronic diseases such as hypertension, which are preventable, early-diagnosable and effectively treatable in outpatient care. If we could manage cardiovascular risks better at primary care level, we could save much of these costs. Prevention of high blood pressure and early initiation of treatment today cost us a fraction of what subsequent treatment costs. The high expenditure on acute care is thus also a statement of the significant need to strengthen our current prevention system. presented by Ing. Michal Štofko, PhD., State Secretary MZ SR.
Treatment of the consequences of hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, long-term pharmacological treatment or rehabilitation costs health insurance companies and the state millions of euros per year. However, indirect expenditure is even higher: loss of working capacity, early pensions, frequent incapacity for work, reduced productivity, but also care costs for relatives and overall loss of quality of life. –The long-term asymptomatic course of hypertension significantly contributes to its subdiagnosing, resulting in delayed therapeutic intervention. Persistent increases in blood pressure cause mechanical overload of the vascular wall, leading to functional and structural changes in the target organs, especially in the heart, brain, kidney and peripheral vascular system. Life-style adjustment and emphasis on patient education play a key role in the management of hypertension. Early intervention to change the lifestyle is an effective tool to reduce the global burden of hypertension and its complications. In the light of regional disparities, it is important to implement targeted interventions, while socio-economic factors such as low health literacy, inadequate prevention and cultural inequalities also play a significant role. says Mgr. Veronica Lane Rybanská, D. Phil., Director Department of Analysis - Institute of Health Analysis of MZ SR.
Not enough - regular blood pressure measurements, lifestyle changes, early treatment initiation and good cooperation - patient adherence. Prevention and early diagnosis are therefore not only the medical but also the most economically advantageous solution. This year, Slovakia is also participating in the May Measurement Month (MMM) global screening campaign, in which from 1 May to 31 July, volunteers worldwide will measure the blood pressure of citizens of towns and villages. All participants will go away with information on their blood pressure levels, and we will make recommendations for the follow-up to those with hypertensive diagnosis. In 2024 the results of this initiative in Slovakia confirmed that one in six adults who are not yet treated for hypertension are not aware of their disease and pressure values above 140/90 mm Hg. At the same time, one in three persons already treated for hypertension had no effective control of their blood pressure. We also want to change these statistics through the Action Plan, which we prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, explains MUDr. Anna Vachulová, PhD., vice-president of Slovak Hypertension company SLS and coordinator of MMM project in Slovakia.
However, the good news is that a number of complications can be avoided by regularly measuring your blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, moving and, if necessary, taking regular treatment as prescribed by your doctor. Hypertension will not be released on its own, but it can be handled very well with the right approach, in particular by eliminating risk factors. It includes weight loss, lack of exercise, excessive salt and alcohol intake, smoking. Meaningful prevention lies in small but regular decisions " what we eat, how we move, how we manage stress and whether we find time to control our own health." closes MUDr. Etela Janeková, PhD., head expert of MZ SR for general medicine.