Hyderabad: A report of the city-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) says that men in urban areas suffer more than women from hypertension and its prevalence is highest in Kerala. The report, titled 'Diet and nutritional status of urban population in India and prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and its associated non-communicable diseases', was released here last week. As per the report, around 31 per cent of urban men suffer from hypertension as compared to 26 per cent women.

It also mentions that nearly 16 per cent of men in the country smoke tobacco and 30 per cent consume alcohol. A study on these aspects was conducted by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB). The findings of the study formed the basis of a report compiled by NIN, which comes under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

In Kerala, the prevalence of hypertension was highest (31 per cent to 39 per cent) while in Bihar, it was the lowest (16 per cent to 22 per cent), said the report. Also, around 16 per cent men in the country smoke tobacco while 30 per cent consume alcohol, it said. The report also said that around 22 per cent men suffer from diabetes as compared to 19 per cent women.

"It was significantly associated with (being) overweight, obesity, physical inactivity and hyperlipidaemia (abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids or lipoproteins in the blood)," it said. The report was based on comprehensive urban nutrition survey that was carried out by NNMB during 2015-16.

The study was conducted on 1.72 lakh people from 52,577 households in 16 states in India for their socio-demographic status, anthropometry and clinical examination for nutritional deficiency signs, it said. Anthropometry is the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of human body.The National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) was established in 1972 by the ICMR.