Why many Nigerians die from heart attack, stroke
In the past four decades, hypertension wasn’t common but three years ago, statistics show that 1 out of every 3 adults in Nigeria above 30 years have high blood pressure but new studies now even show that 1 out of 2 adults in Nigeria have high blood pressure but unfortunately, many people are unaware. LARA ADEJORO writes:
Hypertension usually does not cause symptoms initially, but sustained hypertension over time is a major risk factor for hypertensive heart disease, coronary artery disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, and chronic kidney disease. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number 1 cause of death globally. More people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, representing 31 per cent of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke .Over three quarters of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries.
Out of the 16 million deaths under the age of 70 due to Non communicable diseases (NCDs), 82 per cent are in low and middle income countries and 37 per cent are caused by CVDs, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Heart attacks and strokes are usually acute events and are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain.
The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessels that supply the heart or brain. A cardiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Dr Akinkunmi Afolabi said, 60 per cent of people with heart attack die before getting to the hospital and for those who even make it to the hospital, over 50 per cent still die because the damage has already been done.
Dr Afolabi said, “Stroke is becoming common now and on daily basis at the medical emergency in LUTH, we see at least, one patient with stroke and this is very worrisome, as it claims people’s lives at their prime because the country has invested in a lot of them only for them to die when they are to give back to people behind them. “A school of thought on stroke says, one third of people with stroke will die, one third will make it but will have neurological or functional disability and one third will recover fully.
When a person develops heart attack or stroke, the damage would have been done and nothing can be done about it, except for management. That’s why it is very important for people who have high blood pressure to make sure it is controlled. Unfortunately, a lot of people with heart attack don’t even make it to the hospital.,” he said.
The cardiologist said, high blood pressure can cause kidney failure “and that’s worse because the cost of dialysis is expensive and you have to do three sections of dialysis in a week and that cost N50,000 to keep fit or one starts looking for kidney donation.” Corroborating this, the Executive Director of Nigeria Heart Foundation (NHF), Dr. Kingsley Akinroye said, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Prevention Akinroye said, cardiovascular diseases could be prevented if there is an increase in awareness programmes, addressing the causes and risk factors involved in heart disease.
Dr Afolabi said, cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by regular medical check-up, addressing sedentary lifestyles such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and excessive use of alcohol. “People should go for regular medical check-up, at least once in six months, that is twice in a year, that way, a medical expert can tell if one has high blood pressure.
The management is unending. One needs to check ones blood pressure regularly and once it’s detected that one has high blood pressure, the medications must be taken regularly.” Adding, Afolabi said, if a family member has or has died of heart attack or stroke, then one is at risk. “People need to modify their lifestyles. In the past four decades, hypertension wasn’t common but three years ago, statistics show that 1 out of every 3 adults in Nigeria above 30 years have high blood pressure but new studies now even show that 1 out of 2 adults in Nigeria have high blood pressure and that’s alarming. That means that out of every five family, one or two persons will have high blood pressure.
Then, it shows something has changed about our lifestyles. “In those days, our fathers used to trek to the farm but now, people prefer sitting in a place for a long time, they don’t trek anymore, instead they use the elevators or take a bike; people are no longer physically active.” The expert said, it is recommended that, people should have 30 minutes of brisk walk three to four times in a week.
“That also help to control the blood pressure. People should stop smoking, reduce alcohol intake to its barest minimum and if it’s possible, it can be stopped. “From studies, male can take 21 units of beer in a week, which about 7 bottles and 14 units of beer for female in a week.
Apparently, a bottle of beer in a week is okay. People should consume more fruits and vegetables, reduce salt intake, curry, locust beans, maggi and foods that have high concentration of salt,” he said. He advocated that government should expand the health insurance scheme. “Out of pocket payment in the hospital cannot go far. Sometimes, people come and might not have money to buy the medications, these are things that should ordinarily be covered by the insurance scheme.”
