By Chioma Obinna

AS the world prepares to mark this year’s World Hypertension Day, a renowned cardiologist and vice president, World Heart Federation, WHF, Dr.Kingsley Akinroye, yesterday, said despite the increased awareness on hypertension, prevalence of the disease has continued to rise unabated.

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent non communicable conditions worldwide. According to the World Health organisation, hypertension is responsible for an estimated 45 percent of deaths due to heart disease and 51 percent of deaths due to stroke globally. According to WHO’s Global status report on non communicable, of WHO’s six regions, the African region has the highest prevalence of hypertension estimated at 46 percent of adults aged 25 and above. Akinroye who is also the president, Nigeria Heart Foundation, NHF, further regretted that statistics available have shown that 70 percent of hypertensive patients go on drug holidays while the prevalence among Nigerians is between 25 percent and 40 percent depending on the area of location.   Akinroye who noted that hypertension was synonymous to job termination once diagnosed in the mid 70s said: “despite the awareness which has increased to about 80 percent, it is still rising within the Nigerian population.”

Speaking in Lagos during the anniversary of “Fight the Good Fight Against Hypertension, FITGAH” a programme of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, in Lagos with the theme: “Hypertension Never Sleeps” also drew the attention of the government and Nigerians on the unacceptable rise in many parts of the country of some known lifestyle driven factors of heart disease. According to him, the government and Nigerians should as a matter of urgency, tackle rising incidences of high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco consumption, excessive intake of salt and urban lifestyle where people eat more of junk foods as part of efforts to check heart disease.