INTRODUCTION:
hypertension is a major public health problem in india and a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. limited awareness of hypertensive status remains a critical barrier to effective prevention and control. this review synthesizes available evidence on hypertension awareness across different indian population settings.

METHODS:
a literature search was conducted using google scholar and pubmed to identify studies reporting hypertension awareness in indian populations. included studies were assessed for quality using the GRADE assessment tool. data on study location, sample size, and awareness prevalence were extracted. a sample-size–weighted pooled analysis was performed. publication bias was assessed qualitatively based on study distribution and population characteristics.

RESULTS:
eleven studies involving 163432 participants were included. hypertension awareness varied widely, ranging from 14.5% in rural nagpur district, maharashtra, to 78% in keezzhmadu village, kerala. the pooled awareness estimate was 49.4%, indicating that approximately half of hypertensive individuals in india are aware of their condition. urban, slum, and national-level studies reported awareness between 50% and 59%, whereas rural populations, particularly in central and eastern india, showed substantially lower awareness between 14% and 25%. elderly-focused studies demonstrated awareness levels between 45% and 49%. qualitative assessment suggested possible publication bias, with a predominance of urban and southern indian studies reporting higher awareness levels.

CONCLUSIONS:
hypertension awareness in india remains inadequate and unevenly distributed. targeted community-based screening, strengthened primary healthcare systems, and region-specific health education strategies are urgently needed to improve awareness and reduce the cardiovascular disease burden.