A Medical doctor and General practitioner with University of Cape Coast Health Services, Dr. Kwasi Sobre Nkrumah says the types of food individuals eat can have influence on their weight which in turn can lead to hypertension.

According to him on ATL FM’s Atlantic Wave, foods that tend to increase weight of individuals add bad cholesterol to the body, which is a leading cause of hypertension.

To him, oily foods, lack of rest and improper eating habits impair digestion which poses as a major health risk to individuals.

“So if you are eating foods, that tend to increase your weight to an extent that there is no correlation between your height and your weight and then adds more cholesterol, if this adds a lot of bad cholesterol to your system, this bad cholesterol, what they do is that they tend to line your blood vessels. So, all these foods I’m talking about, will in turn add up to your weight” he continued.

Demystifying some myths surrounding hypertension, Dr. Nkrumah noted that once a person starts a journey of taking medication for hypertension, it is ideal for constant feedback to be given to one’s doctor.

“Another thing is that people tend to believe that the medications they are given to help reduce their blood pressure itself can cause the hypertension. So some say, once they don’t see their BPs coming down, instead of reporting back, they tend to believe the myth that it’s rather the medications that is shooting up their BP and they tend to not continue with their medications again” he expressed.

According to him, though hypertension cannot be healed, regular check-ups should be a weekly lifestyle to eradicate future occurrences.

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While urging all and sundry to inculcate the habit of regular exercises for healthy living, he stressed that exercises like swimming is very good and engaging in other games is also good for healthy living.

Dr. Sobre Nkrumah also stated that inculcating the habit of regular check of one’s blood pressure is the way to detect hypertension at the early stages to prevent possible health emergencies.

He, therefore, urged individuals to always visit the hospitals at regular intervals for checks-ups for a healthy living.

Source: Comfort Hayford/ATLFMNEWS