On September 3, Servier is launching in more than 40 countries, in collaboration with the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), a new edition of “Because I Say So” (BISS), a worldwide public campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of taking one’s blood pressure treatment every day and following the doctor’s advice about treatment.
“This new campaign, done in collaboration with the International Society of Hypertension, directed at the public, aims to raise awareness of the severe consequences of a lack of adherence to antihypertensive treatment, as we know it is one of the reasons for a low rate of blood pressure control in the hypertensive population”
David Pédelabat-Lartigau, Marketing Director hypertension at Servier.
Hypertension is known as a “silent killer” because there are often no symptoms of hypertension and yet it can lead to serious cardiovascular diseases (heart attack and stroke). This lack of symptoms means that most patients go undiagnosed, and when they are treated, more than half stop their treatment before 12 months.
The first BISS campaign was launched in 2018, with the aim of increasing awareness and diagnosis of hypertension. During the second edition in 2019, the campaign reached more than 150 million people in 70 countries.
Key facts
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people suffering from chronic diseases, such as hypertension, who stopped treatment, increased significantly. In Europe, almost 10%* of such people stopped their treatment during the months when the pandemic was at its highest.
*Carenity survey, May 2020 (Europe & U.S.)
1 World Health Organization
2 Chowdhury R et al. Eur Heart J. 2013;34(38):2940-2948
3 Bohm M et al. Am Heart J. 2013;166:306-314.e7