1. World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable disease 2013–2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506236.
2. World Health Organization. Non-communicable diseases and their risk factors. Major NCDs and theirRisk factors.2017. https://www.who.int/ncds/introduction/en/.
3. Kjeldsen SE. Hypertension and cardiovascular risk: General aspects. Pharmacol Res. 2018; 129:95–9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2017.11.003 PMID: 29127059
4. Law MR, Morris JK, Wald NJ. Use of blood pressure lowering drugs in the prevention of cardiovasculardisease: meta-analysis of 147 randomised trials in the context of expectations from prospective epidemiological studies. Bmj. 2009; 338:b1665. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b1665 PMID: 19454737
5. Ramirez LA, Sullivan JC. Sex Differences in Hypertension: Where We Have Been and Where We AreGoing. American Journal of Hypertension. 2018; 31(12):1247–54. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpy148 PMID: 30299518
6. Krieger N. Racial and gender discrimination: Risk factors for high blood pressure? Social Science &Medicine. 1990; 30(12):1273–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(90)90307-e PMID: 2367873
7. Sparrenberger F, Cichelero FT, Ascoli AM, Fonseca FP, Weiss G, Berwanger O, et al. Does psychosocial stress cause hypertension? A systematic review of observational studies. Journal of Human Hypertension. 2009; 23(1):12–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2008.74 PMID: 18615099
8. Pickering TG, Devereux RB, James GD, Gerin W, Landsbergis P, Schnall PL, et al. Environmental influences on blood pressure and the role of job strain. J Hypertens Suppl. 1996; 14(5):S179–85. PMID:9120676
9. Foulds HJA, Bredin SSD, Warburton DER. Ethnic differences in vascular function and factors contributing to blood pressure. Can J Public Health. 2018; 109(3):316–26. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0076-z PMID: 29981097
10. World Health Organization. NCD country profile; 2011. https://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd_profiles2011/en/.
11. World Health Organization. NCD country profile; 2018. https://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncdprofiles-2018/en/.
12. World Health Organization and Ministry of Health in Bhutan. National survey for noncommunicable disease risk factors and mental health using WHO STEPS approach in Bhutan– 2014. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/204659.
13. Pelzom D, Isaakidis P, Oo MM, Gurung MS, Yangchen P. Alarming prevalence and clustering of modifiable noncommunicable disease risk factors among adults in Bhutan: a nationwide cross-sectional community survey. BMC Public Health. 2017; 17(1):975. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4989-x PMID:29268747
14. Ministry of Health in Bhutan. Non-communicable Disease Division, Department of Public Health. Package of Essential NCD (PEN) protocol for BHUs. 2017.
15. Kohori-Segawa H, Dorji C, Dorji K, Wangdi U, Dema C, Dorji Y, et al. A qualitative study on knowledge,perception, and practice related to non-communicable diseases in relation to happiness among ruraland urban residents in Bhutan. PLoS One. 2020; 15(6):e0234257. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234257 PMID: 32598347
16. National Statistics Bureau in Bhutan. STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2020.
17. The constitution of Bhutan 2008.
18. Centre for Bhutan Studies & GNH Research. 2015 GNH survey report a Compass towards a Just andHarmonious Society 2016.
19. World Health Organization. WHO STEPS Surveillance Manual 2017. https://www.who.int/ncds/surveillance/steps/STEPS_Manual.pdf.
20. National Statistics Bureau in Bhutan. Population and Housing Census of Bhutan 2005.
21. Kish L. A Procedure for Objective Respondent Selection within the Household. Journal of the AmericanStatistical Association. 1949; 44(247):380–7. https://doi.org/10.2307/2280236
22. World Health Organization. A global brief on hypertension. Silent killer, global public health crisis.Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013 https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/publications/global_brief_hypertension/en/.
23. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016; 388(10053):1659–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31679-8 PMID: 27733284
24. Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, Zhu M, Zhao G, Bao W, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortalityfrom all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Bmj. 2014; 349:g4490. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4490 PMID:25073782
25. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, et al. World Health Organization2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020; 54(24):1451–62.https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955 PMID: 33239350
26. Holmes MV, Dale CE, Zuccolo L, Silverwood RJ, Guo Y, Ye Z, et al. Association between alcohol andcardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data. Bmj.2014; 349:g4164. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4164 PMID: 25011450
27. Aburto NJ, Ziolkovska A, Hooper L, Elliott P, Cappuccio FP, Meerpohl JJ. Effect of lower sodium intakeon health: systematic review and meta-analyses. Bmj. 2013; 346:f1326. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f1326 PMID: 23558163
28. Tanaka T, Okamura T, Miura K, Kadowaki T, Ueshima H, Nakagawa H, et al. A simple method to estimate populational 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion using a casual urine specimen. J HumHypertens. 2002; 16(2):97–103. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001307 PMID: 11850766
29. Zhang Y, Peng Y, Li K, Peng X. Assessing whether a spot urine specimen can predict 24-h urinarysodium excretion accurately: a validation study. J Hypertens. 2019; 37(1):99–108. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000001879 PMID: 30063643
30. Dong J, Yan Y, Fan H, Zhao X, Mi J. Accuracy Validation of 8 Equations to Estimate 24-Hour Sodiumby Spot Urine in Young Adolescents. Am J Hypertens. 2019; 32(3):257–64. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpy178 PMID: 30517605
31. Mozaffarian D, Fahimi S, Singh GM, Micha R, Khatibzadeh S, Engell RE, et al. Global sodium consumption and death from cardiovascular causes. N Engl J Med. 2014; 371(7):624–34. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1304127 PMID: 25119608
32. Perreault L, Pan Q, Mather KJ, Watson KE, Hamman RF, Kahn SE. Effect of regression from prediabetes to normal glucose regulation on long-term reduction in diabetes risk: results from the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. Lancet. 2012; 379(9833):2243–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60525-X PMID: 22683134
33. Huang Y, Cai X, Mai W, Li M, Hu Y. Association between prediabetes and risk of cardiovascular diseaseand all cause mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj. 2016; 355:i5953. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i5953 PMID: 27881363
34. Ng M, Fleming T, Robinson M, Thomson B, Graetz N, Margono C, et al. Global, regional, and nationalprevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysisfor the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. 2014; 384(9945):766–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8 PMID: 24880830
35. Shimada S, Hasegawa K, Wada H, Terashima S, Satoh-Asahara N, Yamakage H, et al. High blood viscosity is closely associated with cigarette smoking and markedly reduced by smoking cessation. Circ J.2011; 75(1):185–9. https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.cj-10-0335 PMID: 21071876
36. Manosroi W, Williams GH. Genetics of Human Primary Hypertension: Focus on Hormonal Mechanisms. Endocr Rev. 2019; 40(3):825–56. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00071 PMID: 30590482
37. Japanese Society for Hypertension. Guideline for the management of hypertension 2019.
38. Kramsch C, editor Language and Culture 1998. Oxford university press.
39. Sobal J. Cultural Comparison Research Designs in Food, Eating, and Nutrition. Food Quality and Preference. 1998; 9(6):385–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(98)00029-9
40. Dorjee K. Linguistic landscape of Bhutan: An overview of number of languages, language policy, language education, and language use in Bhutan. Bhutan Journal of Research & Development. 2014; 3(1):79–101.
41. Aryal N, Weatherall M, Bhatta Y, Mann S. Blood pressure and hypertension in people living at high altitude in Nepal. Hypertension Research. 2018; 42:284–91. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-018-0138-xPMID: 30459461
42. Cifkova R, Pitha J, Lejskova M, Lanska V, Zecova S. Blood pressure around the menopause: a population study. Journal of Hypertension. 2008; 26(10). https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/Fulltext/2008/10000/Blood_pressure_around_the_menopause__a_population.11.aspx. PMID: 18806621
43. Choi E, Chentsova-Dutton Y, Parrott WG. The Effectiveness of Somatization in Communicating Distress in Korean and American Cultural Contexts. Frontiers in psychology. 2016; 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00383 PMID: 27047414
44. Willitts M, Benzeval M, Stansfeld S. Partnership history and mental health over time. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004; 58(1):53–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.58.1.53 PMID: 14684727
45. Chung W, Kim R. Are Married Men Healthier than Single Women? A Gender Comparison of the HealthEffects of Marriage and Marital Satisfaction in East Asia. PLoS One. 2015; 10(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134260 PMID: 26230841
46. Ren XS. Marital status and quality of relationships: the impact on health perception. Soc Sci Med. 1997;44(2):241–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(96)00158-x PMID: 9015876
47. Spruill TM. Chronic psychosocial stress and hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2010; 12(1):10–6.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-009-0084-8 PMID: 20425153
48. Hamano T, Fujisawa Y, Yamasaki M, Ito K, Nabika T, Shiwaku K. Contributions of social context toblood pressure: findings from a multilevel analysis of social capital and systolic blood pressure. Am JHypertens. 2011; 24(6):643–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajh.2011.37 PMID: 21415843
49. Ugen S. Bhutan: the world’s most advanced tobacco control nation? Tobacco Control. 2003; 12(4):431–3. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.12.4.431 PMID: 14660782
50. World Health Organization. The Big Ban Bhutan’s journey towards a tobacco-free society.2019. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/332194.