- Experts express concern, call for action
The Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) has decried the high number of persons suffering hypertension in the country, warning of the consequences on the nation’s economy if left uncontrolled.
The warning came as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Hypertension Day (WHD) on May 17, with 76.2 million Nigerians believed to be hypertensive.
The ideal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg but, in Nigeria, normal blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg. Medics say any figure higher than 140 mmHg for systolic blood pressure or 90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure is regarded as hypertension.
In a statement jointly issued by the President of NHS, Prof. Ayodele Omotosho, and Secretary Kolawole Wahab, hypertension, also known as High Blood Pressure (HPB) remains “the number one cause of preventable death worldwide.”
The statement described hypertension as a condition in which there is sustained elevation of blood pressure above a threshold of 140 mmHg systolic and 90 mmHg diastolic in adults.
It said: “Unfortunately, hypertension only announces its presence in most people after development of complications like stroke, heart failure, heart attack or kidney failure. The social and economic tolls of these complications on immediate families and the nation at large are enormous.
“The observance of the day is a call to the need to increase hypertension awareness, accurately measure blood pressure, detect and control hypertension to prevent premature death. The proportion of Nigerians with hypertension is high, while awareness, treatment, and control rates are low despite the availability of potent drugs.”
The statement added that in a screening conducted by the NHS in 2018, hypertension was present in one-third of the population with only half of these aware of being hypertensive, while only 18 per cent of all hypertensive patients had their blood pressure controlled.
This year’s WHD theme is: “Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer.” The World Hypertension League (WHL) has chosen this theme based on current statistics showing uncomfortably low awareness and poor control of HBP.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally, more than one billion people are known to have hypertension and the figure is estimated to increase to 1.5 billion by 2025.