By Gabriel Olawale & Jennifer Aladetan

Team Up For Health, TUFH, a Carlisle Healthcare initiative has start a free blood pressure check campaign aimed to nip in the bud chronic diseases that may result from high blood pressure.

In an announcement, the initiator of the campaign, Pharm. Shade Animashaun called on all  Nigerians to take their health serious. “The rate at which people are coming down with hypertension is alarming. One in every three persons is hypertensive and the sad story about it is that if not taken care of on time can lead to other chronic diseases like heart failure, stroke and kidney disease to mention view.

“To prevent chronic diseases, TUFH is starting a community campaign to alert people on the need to monitor blood pressure. We believe that once the rise in blood pressure is detected on time, it is easy to prevent it from leading to chronic cases which can eventually result to death.”

Animashaun disclosed that the TUFH campaign was designed to provide free blood pressure checks for every member of  society as they need to know their numbers; once they know their numbers they will know what to do and not to do.

Animashaun said the free check exercise is available to all. “ The campaign is structured in such a way that any organisation, group of people, or religious gathering can invite us and we are ready to render the service any time any day at no cost.”

“The idea behind our campaign is that we do not want anybody to develop chronic disease that will now stand as a death threat. With simple awareness, many lives can be saved.”

On  this year’s World Hypertension Day with the theme: “Team Up For Health” there will  will be a walk-a-thon on 16th of May. Take off point is Ikoyi Baptist Church at 7am. The event is open to the public.

Blood pressure is measured with a systolic number (SBP) and a diastolic number (DBP). Systolic pressure occurs when the heart contracts and is the higher of the two numbers.

Diastolic pressure is the lower number and it occurs when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. The higher your systolic or diastolic pressure, and the longer it stays high, the more damage there is to your blood vessels.