Expert attributes high mortality rate to cardiovascular diseases

Dr Andrew Temitayo of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, has attributed the high mortality rate in the country to the incidence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) among Nigerians.

Cardiovascular Disease (also called heart disease) is a class of disease that involves the heart, blood vessels (arteries, capillaries, and veins) or both.

The causes of cardiovascular disease are diverse, but arterosclerosis and/or hypertension are the most common.

Speaking at a workshop organised by Norsemen Club in Abuja, with the theme: `Your Health, Your Insurance’, Temitayo said, “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths worldwide.However, since the 1970s, cardiovascular mortality rates have declined in many western countries.

“At the same time, cardiovascular deaths and disease have increased at a fast rate in low and middle income countries.’’

He said that the disease usually affects older adults as 42 per cent of 60-year-old adults were infected with it.

According to him, good dietary habits and lifestyle can help prevent the disease.

He identified high intake of oil and salt, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption as causes of the disease.

“We can control intake of oil because it is a saturated source of fats and we can appeal to industrialists to start extracting fats from the oil. We can also control salt intake, smoking and drinking of alcohol too because of the dangers they pose to our health.’’

Temitayo advised that people should be conscious of their age as the risk of the disease was higher in adults, adding that men were more at risk of getting infected with CVD due to hormonal differences.

“The older you grow, the less efficient your organs become and your lifestyle at any age will catch up with you whenever you grow old.The risk of men developing CVD is higher than women because women have oestrogen, a hormone that protects them against so many diseases.’’

He advised adults to embrace physical exercise, so as to reduce the risk of the disease, while those who had attained 35 years and above should go for regular medical check-up.

Also speaking, Mr. Abiodun Olaniyi, the Managing Director of Mansard Insurance Plc, said health insurance was a basic necessity.

Olaniyi stressed the need for people to take advantage of various insurance schemes, adding that many benefits accrued to insurance subscription.

Earlier, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of the club, Mr Elias Ogar said more of such outreach programmes would be organised, to sensitise residents about various health issues.

Ogar appealed to residents to keep their environment clean, to protect themselves from diseases.

Norsemen Club is a non-political and non-profit making international organisation with the objective to create awareness about public health and how to address poverty within communities. (NAN)