Hypertension affects more than 30% of the adult population worldwide, that is, over one billion people around the world. It is the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary heart disease and stroke, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, arrhythmia and dementia.
As the world marks this year’s Hypertension Day, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, has stressed the need for people to undergo regular Blood Pressure check in order to detect and reduce chances of hypertension and promote healthy living.
Dr Edu stated that the burden of hypertension is huge and that more than half of people living with it are unaware of their condition, which put them at risk of avoidable medical complications and death.
She said accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is essential for the proper diagnosis and management of hypertension, explaining that “BP measurement is perhaps the most commonly performed procedure in clinical medicine and, although it seems simple at first glance, current suboptimal measurement leads to negatively impacting clinical management decisions in 20 – 45% of cases.
“Assessing healthcare workers performance of BP measurement and how to improve it are key elements of a successful hypertension control. Individuals who have hypertension must understand that they need to religiously take their anti hypertensive medication daily to live longer and healthier. You must learn to measure your blood pressure with your own BP equipment daily to keep track and avoid a stroke or other complications.
“Too many sudden deaths in recent time, too many kidney failure even among young people, too many loss of memory, lose of speech, loss of sight and hearing, “ghost slap”, village people stroke etc. all of this can be avoided just by checking your blood pressure regularly and sticking to your medication.
“Are you having consistent head ache, neck pain, are you stressed? Do you feel dizzy? Do you hear your heart beating? Are you anxious and worried about anything?… please check your blood pressure… don’t gamble with your life.”
The World Hypertension Day is marked annually on 17th of May, and the theme for 2021 is: “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.”