To reduce the rate of sudden deaths in the country, Nigerians have been urged to guard against hypertension by going for regular screening.
The Nigerian Hypertension Society, an affiliate of the International Society of Hypertension and World Hypertension League, gave the advice at an event to mark the 2019 World Hypertension Day, with the theme “Check your pressure, Know your numbers”.
The society advised people to check their blood pressure regularly and avoid unhealthy lifestyle that could expose them to the risk of non communicable diseases such as heart attack and kidney failure.
Experts say more than 50 per cent of people who are hypertensive are unaware that they have it, hence the need for regular health check.
Apart from embracing regular screening, the group also asked those diagnosed with hypertension to consult trained medical practitioners for proper treatment, stressing that proper medication prevents complications from untreated high blood pressure like stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.
President of the society, Ayodele Omotoso explained that the purpose of marking the day was to increase awareness on the importance of regular high blood pressure screening and the need for countries to tackle the condition which he described as a ‘silent killer’.
Reiterating the need for regular high blood pressure check among Nigerians, Omotoso revealed that Nigeria accounts for about one-third of the adult population that is hypertensive, noting that there was poor awareness about the condition in the country.
He further advised Nigerians to avoid excessive salt consumption, engage in regular exercise as well as avoid unhealthy lifestyles like smoking and alcohol consumption, which he said is strongly linked to the development of hypertension.
