By Lilian U. Okoro
A Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Bode Adejumo, has urged Nigerians to embrace preventive measures and lifestyle changes that could help to live healthy life and thereby, curb the prevalence of hypertension.
Adejumo, who works with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in commemoration of the World Hypertension Day on Friday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the World Hypertension Day is celebrated annually on May 17.
The day aims to raise public awareness of high blood pressure, a leading cause of death that affects more than one billion people worldwide and claims 7.5 million lives each year.
He said that one of the ways to prevent hypertension was through lifestyle changes; diet and exercise.
According to him, it is recommended to get at least thirty minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week.
He said: “This, alongside healthy diet will go a long way in reducing high blood pressure.
“There are people who always add salt to their meal, salt intake should be greatly reduced.
“You can use spices since they have some salt contents and that will reduce the amount of salt.
“Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables; fruits that contain potassium, because they help to reduce high blood pressure.
“Fruits like bananna and orange help in controlling and preventing high blood pressure.
“Also, take enough water, reduce alcohol and smoking; when you are able to do all these things, it will help in controlling not just high blood pressure but also diabetes and cholesterol level.”
He emphasised that, to control hypertension, lifestyle modification was very important.
According to him, studies have shown that when you take low salt, your hypertension is likely going to go down.
The Cardiologist noted that diet, lifestyle modifications and consideration for barriers to blood pressure control like poor knowledge about the condition, must be part of all treatment regimens.
Adejumo, who described hypertension as a silent killer, decried the rate of sudden deaths among Nigerians due to heart attack.
He lamented that the death of most young Nigerians could be linked to heart-related challenges caused by undetected and unmanaged hypertension.
The cardiologist attributed the development to lack of preventive measures among the citizens.
He added that lack of proper information and education about the disease were other contributing factors.
He advised Nigerians to imbibe the culture of going for medical checkups and regularly check on their BP, as absence of symptoms does not mean there was none.
“In some cases, high blood pressure condition shows no symptoms, which makes it difficult for the patients to realize that they have the condition. Hence, the need for regular medical checks.
“Meanwhile, high blood pressure can also be hereditary.
“So, people with a family history of the disease should be more watchful of their lifestyles while also maintaining a relationship with their cardiologists,” he said.(NAN)
