Sales in China for drugs to treat hypertension are expected to nearly double to more than 800 million US dollars by 2010 amid higher awareness of the disease and as more Chinese are exposed to risk factors such as obesity, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. research firm. The Chinese market for blood pressure treatment drugs, such as Pfizer Inc.'s Norvasc and Novartis AG's  Diovan, was worth about 440 million US dollars last year, roughly 4 percent of the U.S. market, Reuters quoted a market research firm Decision Resources as saying. Diagnosis rates for hypertension will rise to 41 percent in 2010 from 33 percent last year, boosted by Beijing's health education efforts, the firm said. China's booming market for Western medicines will grow to 25 billion US dollars by 2010, virtually doubling from 13 billion US dollars last year, according to Boston Consulting Group.