In Nigeria and environs, High Blood Pressure, a.k.a Hypertension, is increasingly becoming a problem. It puts people at risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Already a massive hidden killers, High Blood Pressure is set to sharply rise as Nigerians adopt western diets and sedentary lifestyles.
High Blood Pressure is twice as high in Nigeria compared with most neigbouring countries and less than one in every five Nigerians is aware that they are hypertensive.
It is estimated that one in three men and one in four women are hypertensive, and this is set to rise to 39 million cases by 2030. It is particularly worrisome that high blood pressure is treated effectively in less than 10 percent of cases.
As one of the most prevalent Non Communicable disease worldwide, hypertension is responsible for an estimated 45 percent of deaths due to stroke globally.
High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, which can make it grow weaker. The effects can be felt throughout the body.
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
As the heart beast, it pushes blood through the arteries on its way to the rest of the body. Blood pressure is the amount of force created within the arteries and veins.
Systolic blood pressure is measure as the blood pumps out of the heart. Diastolic blood pressure is measured between heartbeats.
Blood pressure varies from person to person and can fluctuate throughout the day. Experts say, over time, a reading of 140/90 may require treatment. The top number (systolic) signifies the pressure in the arteries. A normal systolic blood pressure is 120 or below. The diastolic blood pressure number or the bottom number indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. A normal diastolic blood pressure number is less than 80.
A diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 indicates pre-hypertension.
High blood pressure doesn