Over one billion people around the world suffer from high blood pressure, according to a Swedish study – even those in developing countries. Research conducted by the Karolinska University Hospital, along with the State University of New York and the London School of Economics, revealed that high blood pressure leads to other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, which kills millions of people each year.

According to researchers, the reason for the startling numbers is that many countries, even those in Africa, are adapting to Western lifestyles, which includes poor diets high in processed and salty foods. At the same time, many people aren’t getting the amount of exercise they need. The highest figures are in Western Europe where approximately half the populations of some countries, including Germany and Spain, suffer from high blood pressure.

Doctors who worked on the study warn that there is a growing need for high blood pressure medications but in many developing countries people, particularly men, are not using them. Authors of the study are currently working to find ways to educate people in these countries about the dangers of high blood pressure and the need for lifestyle changes.