Gbenro Adesina
Medical Experts have alerted that out of every 100 Nigerians, 38 are suffering from high blood pressure disease.
They advised Nigerian women to ensure regular medical check-up to ascertain their health status in order to avert High Blood Pressure which is now a silent killer disease.
Drs Bisola Adebayo, Public Physician, College of Medicine, Lagos State University and Titilade Akinola, Medical Consultant, IITA gave the advice in a webinar lecture on “Saving Women from the Silent Killer Disease: High Blood Pressure” organised by the Centre for Gender, Women and Children in Sustainable Development (CGWCSD) and coordinated by Dr Adebimpe Adenugba.
While advising annual or biannual medical check-up for women to know the state of their health, the medical experts noted that lifestyle, stress, smoking, and high cholesterol could contribute to high blood pressure.
In her own presentation, Dr Adebayo who noted that hypertension is a major cause of death worldwide revealed that 38 out of 100 people in Nigeria have high blood pressure.
While stating that “up to 42 per cent of adult women are hypertensive” she advised women to “measure your blood pressure, control it and live longer”.
Drs Adebayo and Akinola revealed the need for women experiencing chronic stress arising from emotional, mental and economic and psychological sources to address these stressors to prevent it from triggering high blood pressure.
According to Dr Akinola, COVID-19 pandemic “brought unprecedented changes including lifestyle changes, making people more sedentary, increase weight and obesity, loss of job, which increased blood pressure”.
She then argued that maintaining “healthy lifestyle is crucial for blood pressure maintenance. Regular blood pressure checks are very important for adults of 20years and above. Women should maintain work life balance for optimal blood pressure. Lifestyle modification through diet, weight maintenance and exercise are vital for blood pressure regulation. People on anti-hypertensive should continue drugs and regular physician review”.
The Executive Director of the Centre, Professor Olabisi Aina, who stated that a healthy woman would bring about healthy family and nation stated that the Centre is aimed at seeing a Nigerian society devoid of gender based discrimination and abuses and is interested in working with women, girls and youths for sustainable development.
