May 16, 2023 | News
World Hypertension Day is observed annually on May 17th to raise awareness about the importance of hypertension prevention, detection, and control. It serves as a global platform to increase awareness about hypertension and its associated risks. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of individuals worldwide and is a major contributor to heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. Today, it aims to empower individuals to take charge of their cardiovascular health, educate our communities about the importance of blood pressure monitoring, and promote preventive measures to reduce the burden of hypertension-related diseases.
As part of the 2023 campaign, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, and Live Longer,” This theme emphasizes the significance of accurate blood pressure measurement, effective control, and the potential for a longer and healthier life.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health condition that affects millions of people around the world. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it typically does not have any noticeable symptoms. However, if left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other organ damage.
Maintaining optimal blood pressure is crucial for our overall well-being and longevity. ‘Blood pressure is a measure of the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps it throughout the body’. Accurate measurement, regular monitoring, and effective control of blood pressure play a vital role in preventing serious health complications. In this article, we will explore the importance of accurately measuring blood pressure, controlling it, and the health benefits associated with maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
To accurately measure your blood pressure, it is recommended that you use a reliable blood pressure monitor, such as a digital blood pressure monitor. It is also important to measure your blood pressure under the right conditions. You should be in a quiet and relaxed environment, avoid smoking or drinking coffee or alcohol, and sit with your feet flat on the floor and your arm at heart level.
Measuring your blood pressure accurately is the first step toward treating hypertension. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: the systolic pressure (top number) and the diastolic pressure (bottom number), measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Normal blood pressure is generally considered to be around 120/80 mmHg, and high blood pressure is usually defined as a reading of 130/80 mmHg or higher.
Controlling your blood pressure is the next step toward maintaining good health. Lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, and quitting smoking can help lower your blood pressure. If these lifestyle changes are not enough to control your blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe medication to help bring it down. It is important to take your medication as prescribed and to follow up with your doctor regularly to ensure that your blood pressure is under control.
Living longer is one of the many health benefits of controlling your blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease, which are some of the leading causes of death worldwide. Additionally, maintaining a healthy blood pressure can help improve your overall quality of life. You may feel more energetic, have better sleep, and be able to perform your daily activities with more ease.
Friends remembered that maintaining optimal blood pressure levels is essential to preventing the onset and progression of various health conditions. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to serious complications, including:
High blood pressure, when unmanaged, puts strain on the heart and arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders.
Elevated blood pressure can damage one’s kidneys over time, leading to chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. So make sure your blood pressure is within range.
Hypertension can affect the blood vessels in the eyes, potentially causing vision impairment or even blindness. It can lead to eye problems.
Research suggests that untreated hypertension may contribute to cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
High blood pressure during pregnancy, known as gestational hypertension, can have adverse effects on both the mother and the baby. So make your health a priority.
Health Benefits of Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure Levels:
It helps reduce one’s chances of developing cardiovascular-related disease. By keeping your blood pressure within the recommended range, we significantly lower our risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, among other complications.
When we maintain optimal blood pressure, it will help our kidneys function properly, prevent avoidable health complications, and reduce the risk of developing cases such as chronic kidney disease.
Healthy blood pressure levels contribute to better brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. That is, maintaining normal blood pressure enhances brain health.
It helps improve eye health. When you have your blood pressure under control, it helps protect the delicate blood vessels in the eyes, reducing the risk of vision problems. So you can see why you must measure your blood pressure, among others.
For our women in the house, maintaining normal blood pressure within a safe range during pregnancy ensures the well-being of both the mother and the developing baby. So, get registered for antenatal care and make sure you don’t miss your antenatal days.
Key Messages and Recommendations:
Get Educated! Learn about hypertension, its risk factors, and the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring. Understand the proper techniques for accurate measurement.
Measure your blood pressure regularly by using a reliable blood pressure monitor. Follow the correct measurement techniques, such as sitting quietly for a few minutes before taking the measurement.
Adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Focus on a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Limit sodium intake, avoid excessive alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and engage in regular physical activity.
Learn to manage stress. Practice stress-management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and engaging in hobbies to reduce stress levels. This may go a long way toward maintaining your blood pressure.
The key is medication compliance. If you are prescribed blood pressure medication, take it as directed by your doctor or healthcare provider. Adhere to the recommended dosage and attend follow-up appointments to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.
Seek medical advice! Consult with your doctor or healthcare provider for guidance on blood pressure management, individualized treatment plans, and lifestyle modifications.
By managing our blood pressure effectively and following our doctor’s recommendations, we can significantly reduce the risk of serious health complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and cognitive decline. Prioritizing our blood pressure management through lifestyle modifications and, if necessary, medical intervention can contribute to a longer, healthier life.
At the Rays of Hope Support Initiative (ROHSI), we are saying that, for accurate blood pressure, we must not just measure it but make sure that we put the blood pressure in a healthy range, seek medical advice, adhere to our medication, and follow any health tips given by our healthcare provider. Remember that regular monitoring of our blood pressure is crucial to our long-term health and well-being.
Courtesy: Rays of Hope Support Initiative (ROHSI) Board and Management Team
Mar 17, 2022 | Healthy Tips
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known as a ‘silent killer’ as most people live with the disease for years before they have any symptoms. By the time the disease is detected, for many people it’s already too late. Hypertension and diabetes are the most common causes of CKD. Other much fewer common conditions that can cause CKD include inflammation, infections, genetics, or longstanding blockage to the urinary system (such as enlarged prostate or kidney stones
In an advanced stage, CKD can only be treated with regular dialysis or through a kidney transplant making it very expensive to manage. Early detection and prevention are essential. However, it can usually be prevented by controlling key risk factors but, most countries have no strategy for chronic kidney disease.
Left untreated, CKD progresses from Stage 1 through to Stage 5. Stage 5 is also known as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), which means regular dialysis treatment, or a kidney transplant is needed to survive.
Fast Facts about Chronic Kidney Disease
- Early chronic kidney disease has no signs or symptoms – many people living with CKD don’t even know it until the disease is in an advanced stage.
- About 10% of the adult population is living with some degree of CKD, and every year millions die prematurely from CKD and related complications.
- CKD is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which are the primary cause of death for all people living with CKD.
- If CKD is detected early and managed appropriately, the deterioration in kidney function can be slowed or even stopped, and the risk of associated cardiovascular complications can be reduced.
- CKD is largely preventable and can be detected early with simple blood and urine tests.
Symptoms and complications of CKD may include:
- High blood pressure
- Anaemia (low blood count)
- Weak bones
- Poor nutritional health
- Nerve damage
- Swollen ankles
- Fatigue
Another consequence of CKD is that it increases the risk of early death from associated cardiovascular disease (i.e., heart attacks and strokes). People living with CKD therefore have an increased risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease, regardless of whether they ever develop kidney failure.
How can we prevent chronic kidney disease?
There are several ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.
- Be active
- Eat a healthy diet
- Reduce your salt intake
- Don’t smoke
- Check and control your blood sugar and blood pressure as part of your regular check-ups
- Get your kidney function checked if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors: diabetes, hypertension, obesity, a family history of CKD.
Blood and urine tests can easily detect CKD and simple, low-cost treatments can slow the progression of the disease, reduce the risk of associated heart attacks and strokes, and improve quality of life.
The early detection of failing kidney function can be lifesaving because it allows CKD to be treated through medications, diet, and lifestyle changes rather than dialysis or a kidney transplant, which are economically inaccessible for most people around the world. These treatments are known as renal replacement therapies (RRT) because they attempt to “replace” the normal functioning of the kidneys.
When you have kidney failure, wastes and fluids accumulate in your body and you need regular dialysis treatments for life to remove these wastes and excess fluid from your blood. For patients who can access it, a kidney transplant combined with medications and a healthy diet can restore normal kidney function.
Note this! About 1.3 million people die from kidney disease each year, with an additional 1.4 million deaths from cardiovascular disease that are attributed to impaired kidney function.
CKD is increasing in prevalence – and at an alarming rate. CKD deaths increased by 41.5% from 1990 to 2020, rising from the 17th leading cause of death to the 10th. Now, it is expected that CKD will climb to the fifth leading cause of death globally by the year 2040.
This is primarily due to changes in the way we eat, drink and move – as the junk food industry reaches virtually all corners of the world with its health-harming products and aggressive marketing techniques, diabetes and hypertension – the key risk factors for CKD – are skyrocketing. Most of this increase is occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and among more marginalised communities in all countries.
CKD can occur at any age but becomes more common with increasing age and is more common in women. Although about half of people aged 75 or more have some degree of impaired kidney function, many of these people do not actually have diseases of their kidneys; they have normal ageing of their kidneys.
The cost of treating CKD represents an enormous burden on healthcare systems worldwide. In developed countries, kidney failure is a major cost driver for patients, their families and governments. For instance:
- According to a recent report published by NHS Kidney Care, in England, CKD costs more than breast, lung, colon and skin cancer combined.
- In the US, treatment of CKD is likely to exceed USD 48 billion per year, and the Stage 5 program consumes 6.7% of the total Medicare budget to care for less than 1% of the covered population.
In middle-income countries such as Nigeria, access to life-saving therapies has progressively increased, yet renal replacement therapy (dialysis or transplant) remains unaffordable for the vast majority of patients. Developing countries cannot afford dialysis or transplants at all—resulting in the deaths of over 1 million people annually from untreated kidney failure.
It is clear that we are not all equal with regard to kidney disease and access to treatment.
Courtesy: Rays of Hope support Initiative, NCD Alliance, National Kidney Foundation Et al
Dec 20, 2021 | News
HE ALMOST DIED FROM HYPERTENSION; NOW HE HELPS OTHERS LIVE FREE OF THE DISEASE
Benjamin Olorunfemi had strong headaches and felt body weakness amid racing heartbeats. When self-medication did not help, his wife persuaded him to see a doctor. What followed was slightly scary.
“I went as advised, and the doctor that attended to me raised an eyebrow about my blood pressure numbers [198/125 mmHg, way above the healthy average of 120/80 mmHg),” 49-year-old Olorunfemi said.
His condition was hypertension stage 3, the doctor explained further. The doctor prescribed some drugs for Olorunfemi, which he took and, fortunately, became better.
But during his recovery process, Olorunfemi wanted to know more about hypertension and how to control it, so he started reading online articles on the subject. This led him to discover that millions of Nigerians live with hypertension and other non-communicable diseases without knowing it.
His finding was consistent with a World Health Organisation report that says “most people with hypertension are unaware of the problem because it may have no warning signs or symptoms.”
Available data further confirms that at least 31% of Nigerians (66 million) are suffering from hypertension. And most of the 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 who live with the disease globally are from low and middle-income countries like Nigeria.
Olorunfemi takes action to help others
Inspired by his discovery, in 2017, Olorunfemi started a nonprofit organisation, Rays of Hope Support Initiative or ROHSI, to create awareness about hypertension and diabetes (another deadly disease affecting 5.77% of Nigerians) among rural residents of Oyo State in Southwest Nigeria, where he lives.
Olorunfemi started with a post on Facebook explaining what he planned to do and asking for volunteers. He got several responses, including from a pharmacist and three medical doctors who are now part of his volunteer pool of 19.
Operating from Plot 5. Block C, Oke Bola(CICS) Layout,Ondo Road, Otun Abese in Ibadan, Oyo State, ROHSI also provides free screening, medical advice, and free medications to patients with hypertension and diabetes via biannual community outreaches.
Once every six months, the group holds a health outreach in a rural community in either Oyo or Lagos State. The outreach is done in consultation and collaboration with community leaders, targeting young adults and the elderly.
Months before the outreach, the group runs physical and social media fundraising campaigns to raise money to buy drugs and handle other logistics during the one-day campaign.
On the day of the outreach, people come to a designated location. Medical experts in ROHSI’s team brief the attendees about hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the risk factors, dangers, symptoms, preventive measures., and what to do if they have symptoms of the diseases.
After that, each participant can proceed to see a doctor for testing. Those with positive results are directed to see another doctor who counsels them privately and sends a list of prescribed drugs to the pharmacist, who hands the medications to the patient for free.
“We test for their blood pressure, blood sugar level, as well as their weight. We offer medical education and treat them where necessary,” said Charles Fajonyomi, a volunteer medical doctor with the organisation.
“Our mandate is to reach out and impact the lives of Nigerians in our rural communities who are not aware of the life-threatening effects of hypertension and diabetes and the preventive methods,” adds Olorunfemi, who studied Banking and Finance but works as a security expert for a private security firm in Oyo.
Olorunfemi said the organisation had its first outreach in August 2017 at Irewumi community in Oyo State. Since then, it has reached about 10,000 people with information about hypertension and diabetes mellitus, including nearly 3000 people (across six communities in Lagos and Oyo states) it has screened and provided with health advice and free medications.
“At first, we thought it was a joke, but they treated us free of charge when they came to our community,” said 50-year-old Imam Ibraheem’, who benefitted during that first outreach in Irewumi.
For 59-year-old Taiwo Odukoya, a November 2019 beneficiary from Otun Abese community in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, “They checked my blood pressure, and it was high. They also told me my sugar level was high. “[Then] I was given drugs, and they followed up on me from time to time to be sure I was sticking to my medication and recovering well.”
As a means of follow-up on its beneficiaries, the organisation created a WhatsApp group where beneficiaries can always ask questions about their health and get advice from its volunteer doctors in the group. The group now has 256 members.
“We ask questions and talk to doctors [on the group] when we need to,” said Ibraheem’.
Fajonyomi, the doctor, said ROHSI is trying to change rural dwellers’ attitudes toward their health. And that is because “people’s attitude to their health is poor in our part of the world. Once people are not very sick, they don’t care about going for medical check-ups.”
According to Olorunfemi, the nonprofit conducts just two outreaches per year because, for now, its funding and funding sources are limited, mostly from family, friends, and colleagues and whatever they get from their social media calls for support per outreach.
He said none of the group’s regular calls for support from pharmaceutical companies, local authorities and donor organisations had yielded any significant fruits.
“Getting support isn’t always easy. Most times, we write to pharmaceutical companies seeking drugs, but that support never comes, and we have to purchase the drugs ourselves,” he said.
He said in the future, ROHSI hopes to build a medical centre in Oyo State, where people could have access to healthcare when they need it for free.
“Our primary healthcare system is not there yet, and it is supposed to be the first point of call for the majority of these preventable ailments in our communities, but that’s not the case. Also, the cost of accessing treatment and medication is so high that it discourages a lot of people from visiting health facilities when they have symptoms of these ailments,” Olorunfemi said.
First Published By Prime Progress https://primeprogressng.com/posts/he-almost-died-from-hypertension-now-he-helps-others-live-free-of-the-disease-55
Aug 22, 2021 | News
DIABETES NEXT EPIDEMIC IN NIGERIA
By Sola Ogundipe
The growing number of people living with diabetes mellitus in Nigeria is worrisome and an explosion in the number of diabetic patients may be imminent if urgent measures are not taken to address the trend.
The World Health Organisation, WHO, estimates for Nigeria, show that 4 million Nigerians are diabetic, and nearly 4 – 11 per cent of the population lives with diabetes.
Experts say it is getting commoner worldwide with the number of affected people rising yearly with projections showing that Africa and Nigeria in particular, is likely to experience the highest increase in the near future. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that by 2040, the global prevalence of diabetes is likely to affect 10 per cent of humanity.
Currently, diabetes care is poorly coordinated, especially at the primary and secondary public health care centres.
Many Nigerians are living with undetected diabetes and even for those that have been diagnosed, just a fraction is receiving proper care and treatment.
A recent study showed that pooled prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the six geopolitical zones were 3.0 percent in the northwest, 5.9 per cent in the northeast, 3.8 percent in the north-central zone, 5.5 percent in the southwest, 4.6 percent, in the south-east, and 9.8 percent in south-south zone.
Findings by Good Health Weekly reveal diabetes screening programmes are few across the States and have limited impact.
The steady increase of diabetic foot, a major complication of diabetes mellitus is equally worrisome.
Many people living with diabetes lack basic knowledge and information about diabetes foot care even as reliable support for diabetic foot care programmes are largely unavailable, leading to poor outcomes for the patient.
Nigeria is currently the most affected country in Africa. It is estimated that over four million Nigerians are living with either the type 1 or type 2 diabetes and findings show that more than 50 per cent the persons with diabetes in the country are unaware that they have the disease.
More than 1 in 3 people with diabetes will develop” a complication of the eyes known as diabetic retinopathy. There is also high prevalence of complications such as diabetic foot among diabetics who risk suffering nerve damage and end up losing their limbs from amputation.
Findings by Good Health Weekly show that patients with diabetes are 25 times more likely to have amputations than people without diabetes.
The amputations unfortunately often do not only result in the loss of the limb but in the loss of life of the patient. Worse still, treatment for diabetic foot complications is the most expensive part of diabetes care even though there is no guarantee that the leg or the life of the patient will be saved.
“Diabetic foot is one of the commonest reasons for prolonged hospitalization in tertiary hospitals. The patient suffers nerve damage to the affected limb even as the tissues develop ulcers, infection sets in and it begins to decay (gangrene),
With the majority of patients financing their medical bills out of pocket, several diabetic patients fail to adhere to their medications and tests. Only 1 in 5 of the patients perform self–blood glucose monitoring among other tests. Several patients even resort to traditional treatment and complementary alternative medicine options.
Today, many Nigerians have become victims of foot amputation, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, among other serious conditions, all linked to diabetes.
Already, the rate of amputation among Nigerians living with diabetes is as high as 53.2 per cent of the number of people with foot ulcers in some centres across the country, making diabetic foot the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation in the lower extremities in the country.
“Diabetes places an extra burden on the individuals and families affected, especially for the majority of patients unable to access quality health care,” said Prof Femi Fasanmade. an endocrinologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
Many patients report late to the health care centre when they have developed advanced disease making treatment and care difficult.
A Consultant Endocrinologist and diabetes expert, Dr Afoke Isiavwe, who is the Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lagos, said diabetes is not getting the attention it deserves even as she decried the current situation whereby a lot of Nigerians are living with undetected diabetes.
“Diabetes is not getting the attention it deserves. There is a bigger problem coming in the near future and if we don’t get the right attention now, people will continue to die.
“We need to address the situation urgently. It is affecting the poor, the rich, the young and the old. What we need to do is set up centres that offer free screening and care for diabetes,” she argued.
An examination of the diabetes burden within sub-Sahara Africa showed that the region has the highest potential by an estimated 156 per cent increase by 2045.
“By 2040, 642 million will be diabetic. Diabetes kills more than HIV, TB and malaria combined and this is made worse by the fact that there are no dedicated diabetes centre in Nigeria. Worse still, mortality rate following diabetic foot amputation is higher than for breast cancer.
Among the main reasons for the expected rise are ageing population, increasing urbanization, (sedentary lifestyle) reducing physical activity and increasing obesity.
Noting that it is long overdue for all the States of the Federation to have dedicated diabetes Centres, Isiavwe said there are currently 16 million persons affected by diabetes, but the figure will rise in coming years.
“There is a very urgent need for all hands and voices involved in the diabetes circle – persons living with diabetes, advocacy groups and associations, diabetes care providers, Diabetes Health Care Trainers, policymakers, etc., to be united to birth the right atmosphere for both primary and secondary prevention of diabetes mellitus in Nigeria.
In her research on diabetes foot in Nigeria, Prof Anthonia Ogbera, an Endocrinologist and Consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital documented the financial burden of diabetic foot problem in the country.
The research published in 2005 showed that the direct costs of treating the diabetic foot ulcer were about 1000 Euros (N400,000), whereas the average monthly wage was about 46 Euros (N18,000).
Findings reveal that today, even the proposed average monthly wage of N30,000 would be inadequate.
“The accompanying social, emotional, and psychological implications of diabetes foot ulcers and amputations are severe, with high mortality rates. A foot care programme including education about foot care should be directed at patients and also at health-care providers.
“All health professionals should have the knowledge and skills to help individuals and families manage diabetes. It is important that every clinic is set up to provide appropriate care and to know when to refer patients to the Endocrinologist/diabetes specialist.”
Isaiavwe said training in Podiatry, a branch of medicine dedicated to the study, diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower extremities, should be part of the package.
Coping tips
Diagnosis
Early diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive testing of blood sugar Treatment
Treatment involves diet and physical activity along with lowering blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that damage blood vessels.
Maintenance of blood glucose control, particularly for people with type 1 diabetes who require insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can be treated with oral medication but may also require insulin.
Maintain blood pressure control and foot care.
Prevention
Adopt simple lifestyle measures such as maintaining healthy body weight, being physically active eating a healthy diet, avoiding sugar and saturated fats intake, and avoiding tobacco use. Go for regular screening for early signs of diabetes-related kidney disease and treatment.
