BLOOD PRESSURE:

* High blood pressure, or too much force exerted by blood as it moves against vessel walls, is the leading risk factor for premature death worldwide. It raises the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and other conditions. Simple steps like exercise and a low-sodium diet can help lower hypertension

* Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury or mmHg. Normal systolic blood pressure - the top blood pressure number - is considered to be 120 mmHg. The borderline range is 120-139 mmHg and high blood pressure is 140 mmHg and over.

FINDINGS:

- Systolic blood pressure is highest in Baltic and East and West African countries, reaching 135 mmHg for women and 138 mmHg for men. These levels were seen in some Western European countries in the 1980s before their recent declines.

- South Korea, Cambodia, Australia, Canada and the United States had some of the lowest blood pressures for both men and women, below 120 mmHg for women and below 125 mmHg for men.

- Among high income countries, Portugal, Finland and Norway have the highest blood pressure.

- Men had higher blood pressure than women in most world regions.

CHOLESTEROL:

* Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood in the United States and some other countries and in millimoles per liter (mmol/L) of blood in Canada and most European countries.

* Total cholesterol levels of below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) is considered desirable.

* When cholesterol is too high, it can cause a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries that can rupture, raising the risk for heart attack, stroke, circulation problems and death.

* A recent World Health Organization report found that most people with High cholesterol levels do not get the treatment they need. Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, which include Pfizer’s Lipitor and AstraZeneca’s Crestor, lower levels of harmful blood fats.

FINDINGS:

- Western European countries like Greenland, Iceland and Germany have the highest cholesterol levels in the world, with average serum total cholesterol of around 212 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L).

- African countries have the lowest total cholesterol, with some as low as 155 mg/dl (4 mmol/L).

- Among Western high-income countries, Greece has the lowest cholesterol for both men and women at below 193 mg/dl (5 mmol/L). The United States, Canada and Sweden also had low cholesterol.

- The UK’s cholesterol is ninth-highest in the world, slightly below 212 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L).

SOURCE: The Lancet/Reuters