A Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician/Cardiologist at the Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Cape Coast says about 30-40% of people found in various countries could be living with hypertension with an estimated 1000 people dying every hour.
Dr Harold Ayetey further indicates that across the globe 1.3billion people live with hypertension.
Speaking exclusively to ATL FM NEWS at the back of the 2024 celebration of World Hypertension Day on May 17, he said in Ghana, it is about 30% of the population.
“When we look at the number, in 10 years about 40% of people living with hypertension are likely to die from either heart attack, stroke, kidney disease or heart failure”, he indicated.
World Hypertension Day
The day commemorated annually was initiated by the World Hypertension League (WHL) in 2005 to raise awareness about high blood pressure and to charge global efforts to combat it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes Hypertension as a silent killer which if not controlled poses a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious health problems.
Worry
Dr. Harold Ayetey expressed worry about the numbers emphasizing the need for people to check their blood pressure status frequently to safeguard their lives.
“The problem is that hypertension is a silent killer and the only time you will know you have hypertension is when you suffer from a stroke or heart attack” he said.
According to him, hypertension has no symptoms as such, the World Hypertension Day is a reminder to all to check their blood pressure status to know if it is normal or high.
“Early detection of high blood pressure levels will ensure effective management of the situation to safeguard one’s life,” he stated.
Theme for the day
Touching on the theme for the 2024 World Hypertension Day ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer’, Dr. Harold Ayitey underscored the need for individuals to know how to measure their blood pressure levels, accurately.
He said individuals with the blood pressure monitor tool at home must learn how to use the right size of the cuff of the blood pressure monitoring tool and its wrapping around the upper arm to obtain accurate results.
“The cuffs come in various sizes for slim and fat arms and if you use it wrongly you are likely to get very high figures. You must know where exactly to wrap it and you must not wrap it too tight as well. So, the emphasis is on accurate measurement and when we get that we as Doctors will be able to assist if we have to.
Additionally, he said people without the tool must at least once or twice a year go to the hospital to check their blood pressure status.
Prevalence among the youth
Meanwhile, Dr Evans MacReady, a Specialist Physician at the Department of Internal Medicine at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital hinted at the alarming rate of hypertension prevalence especially among the youth.
Attributing the situation to lifestyle eating habits and the sedentary lifestyle among the youth, he encouraged constant exercising and healthy balanced diets to reduce the prevalence among the youth and adults.
WHO Statement
In a statement, WHO revealed that in South-East Asia alone, more than 294 million people are living with Hypertension.
“Our Region has identified the prevention and control of hypertension as one of our priorities. “SEAHEARTS: Accelerating Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases in the South-East Asia Region” is an initiative endorsed by the Seventy-sixth Regional Committee in 2023. This can be considered as the world’s largest expansion of cardiovascular diseases prevention and control in primary health care,” portion of the statement read.
Source: Aba Aikins/ATLFMNEWS
