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  • Bad oral hygiene can lead to hypertension – Expert

    Bad oral hygiene can lead to hypertension – Expert

    A consultant Family Dentist, Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital, Lagos,  Dr. Babalola Castano, has warned that bad oral hygiene can lead to hypertension from bacteria impacting the bloodstream of the patient.

    Castano stated this in Lagos, yesterday, during an oral hygiene sensitization for schoolchildren in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government area organized by a group of professional friends under the aegis of Oshodi Parapo Foundation.

    Highlighting the importance of oral hygiene, Castano said the bacteria that appear in the blood near the gums of an unhygienic mouth could move to the rest of the body in a few seconds of entry if not quickly checked.

    He tasked the schoolchildren to inculcate the habit of taking the hygiene of their mouth with seriousness, adding that an unhygienic mouth can lead to so many other life-threatening diseases in the body.

    Speaking on why the Foundation adopted Oral Health Care as their 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, President of the Foundation, Solomon Edukugho noted that many people are going through silent pains because of dental related issues.

    He explained that there are many silent issues that affect the overall health and life of people and if those issues are not pointed out people would be walking in ignorance.

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    The OPF president recalled how people impressed on his foundation to choose optometry as the 2025 project, but they adopted oral health after he presented his findings from research he did after the death of a closed person because of a dental related issue.

    “We considered so many reasons before we adopted Health Talk as our CSR this year. People die because of diseases from the mouth entering the bloodstream directly and when that happens, nobody will adduce it to oral health carelessness.

    “We gathered 120 students in all schools in Oshodi, 60 from primary schools and 60 from secondary schools to represent their schools. And it won’t stop there, we are going to commence intervention for those that need dental related issues in Oshodi because that is where we grew up,” Edukugho said.

  • Hypertension: Shout out to Nigeria’s ‘walking corpses’ (2)

    Hypertension: Shout out to Nigeria’s ‘walking corpses’ (2)

    Alhaji Alade Odunewu a.k.a Allah dey, that great columnist of the Daily Times newspaper of bygone years, gave us the idea of Walking Corpses. He was one himself, he wrote in one of his columns so titled. He was terminally hypertensive but did not know he was dying because his hypertension gave him no such warning signs. Thanks to his doctors when he went to hospital for unrelated reasons. They detained him on bed rest for a while, and he learned that he and many persons, especially journalists, hopping around in daily hustles could be best described as Walking Corpses.

    Surprisingly, I was not hypertensive in real terms, and I am not now, in my years inside journalism’s hypertension-predisposing newsroom infernos. However, I came off with Intra Occular Pressure(IOP), a term for elevated tension in the eye and a cause of glaucoma which, interestingly, a new hypothesis is suggesting may be caused by diabetes among cells at the back of the brain which control vision and may be confronted with coconut oil in the diet. This is a subject for another day as the hypothesis unfolds. Today, the curtain will fall on some causes and potential cures for hypertension, begun last week to invite attention to The World  Hypertension  Day

    Since I have been checking my blood pressure about 35 years ago, it has averaged 110/70 or 120/80. Only when I am on pharmaceutical medication for glaucoma does  it crash to about 90/60 or 85/55 or thereabout, so I gave up the drugs to avert low blood pressure.

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    My father was not as lucky as I have been by the time he passed in 1998, aged 76, due to congestive heart failure. This is one of the repercussions of enlarged heart, often a derivative of hypertension. It may be suspected in aging or old persons who manifest persistent cough the presentation could be that hypertension caused enlargement of the heart, the enlarged heart becomes weak, the weak heart pumps blood to the lungs for Oxygenation but is too weak to bring back oxygenated blood for circulation to all parts of the body. Meanwhile, the blood that does not  easily return to the heart becomes an irritating unwelcome guest in the lungs which try to expel it, through the cough process.

    For my father, hypertension was a pay-off for 35 years of dreadful and dangerous police work which often involved policemen predisposed to hypertension performing hypertension predisposing tasks such as the pursuit of armed robbers or the quelling of civil riots. Hands up, policemen who are not hypertensive! The mob captured my father and some of his colleagues for hours during the Olowo of Owo chieftaincy crisis in Ondo State. He and his colleauges suffered raw deals from mobs during the Adelabu crisis in Ibadan and the Taxi Drivers riot also in Ibadan. During the taxi drivers’ riot, he was hit in the corner of the right eye by a stone fired from a catapult, a problem he managed till he passed but which did not stop the police from sending him on equally dangerous duties. I was not too young at 16 to note the toll on police health of the Western Region political crisis and the Wetie  in Ibadan. It did not matter to the police boss that a subordinate was hypertensive. A job had to be done. No one went out of the barracks without permission. Once the trumpet sounded an emergency, every one assembled in riot gear, a roll was taken, the absentees noted and marked for punishment while the ones present were taken away, far away from home, often to another town for weeks or months with little or no money in their pockets, food and water irregular. One of my friends who is now among the top brass policemen in Abuja today will laugh  on reading his story here. He is hypertensive. A few years ago, soldiers cleared up a region in Borno State of Boko Haram insurgents. They had to move on. As there were not enough soldiers,  policemen were asked to hold the fort in the liberated area. My friend was among the policemen drafted from different parts of Nigeria. When they heard the sound of guns fired by the insurgents, the policemen fled. Who would not? My friend had been hypertensive for years before he was drafted from Lagos.  

    Of all potential causes of hypertension, space would permit discussion of only a few of…poor diet,…stress… Sleep deficit… Obesity… Alcoholism… Smoking…Sedentary lifestyle… Kidney disease… Hyperthyroidism… Sleep apnea… Diabetes… Genetics…some medications and age. I would discuss them later.

     Stress

    It is a huge family which parades cousins as physical, metabolic, psychic, environmental and bio chemical stressors etc. They work through a number of pathways to cause hypertension. Some of these routes include a) the hypothalamus/pituitary adrenal b) sympathetic nervous system c) renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation behaviourism.

    They work synergically. The pituitary, known as the “master gland”, controls the endocrine glands …glands which place their hormone secretions directly into the bloodstream. In some ways, the hypothalamus influences the pituitary. It controls the autonomic or automatic nervous system. This regulates activities we cannot physically control such as the beating of the heart or filtration process in the kidneys. It controls hunger signals, the circadian (sleep-wake) cycles, hormone regulation, including control of the pituitary gland. The adrenals are known as the anti-stress organs. When, for example, fear of the landlord, or of an impending examination we are ill prepared for or even the possibility of separation or divorce in marriage confront us or there is a risk of losing a job, the adrenals produce hormones which embolden us and enable us to face the challenge. These hormones temporarily or permanently alter the biochemistry and functioning of different parts of the body. Adrenal hormones which cause the alteration are known as cortisol and adrenaline  (also called epinephrine). These hormones constrict the blood vessels , thereby increasing blood pressure. When we are under stress for too long, the adrenals may “burn out” .  This means they can no longer produce enough stress hormones which are like the shock absorbers  of a motor vehicle. The shocks of a motor vehicle do not allow impact of the bumps on a road to be transmitted to the chassis of the motor vehicle and, from there, to the passengers comfortably seated inside it. So, stress hormones from the adrenals each of which is located on top of the two kidneys, do not make us know we are undergoing stress when we are… if they are healthy. Therefore, eating for the adrenals or supplementing the diet with food supplements for them is important when we are undergoing stress. My favourite food supplements for the adrenals were Siberian Ginseng and Black Peruvian Macca. There are red macca and yellow macca as well. They are for other purposes. Siberian Ginseng is adaptogenic. This means it restores normalcy. When we are under stress and, therefore, literally speaking heated up, it is like water in the radiator of a motor vehicle. Radiator water cools the engine. When we are low and lethargic, Siberian ginseng, which is indicated more for men, fires us up to keep us moving. Black Peruvian Macca stabilises the brain like Gingko biloba or gotu kola and also helps men to remain fertile, producing healthy motile sperm and bigger sperm counts without necessarily raising the count of testosterone, the male hormone which gives men their male characteristics. It is popular among athletes because it helps them to build and to sharpen muscle tone and improves their endurance capacities. It is also adaptogenic in several ways. On the other hand, Red Peruvian Macca helps women to balance their hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, ease or prevent Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) and see them comfortably through the ravages of menopause and perimenopause. Red Peruvian Macca can be exciting news for men as well because it may help to reduce prostate gland size in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Yellow Peruvian Macca is considered an “all rounder,” improving fertility, balancing the hormones, improving physical endurance and mental balance, especially in anxiety and depression.

    This is especially important for men. When stress knocks out the adrenal glands, the brain will instruct that the SEX HORMONES be converted to STRESS HORMONES. The following is important for flaming Romeos and Juliets. When the adrenals are burnt out, that is when these anti stress organs are themselves overstressed,  Is it not better to be alive with no sexual responses than to be a Romeo and be dead? This is how stress takes away the libido in men and women. They can avoid libido problems caused by giving unto Peter and unto Paul what belongs to each of them. Therefore, people who work under stress of any kind should take care of their adrenals and their libido as well. I took care of mine. Another person I suspect must have been taking care of himself the way he knew was MR ONOJOMO ORERE, The Guardian’s health correspondent in those days. For almost every year, he invited me to a naming ceremony of his children and, till this day, I always teased him how he managed the feat despite the pressure under which we all worked.

    In respect of other possible causes of hypertension, the thyroid may over work the heart with  rapid heart beats, the condition called TACHYCARDIA which may be misplaced as plain PALPITATION. A professor at Lagos State University (LASU) treated palpitations to no avail for several years until his wife showed him this column’s discussion of HYPERTHYRODISM and a line editor of The Nation newspaper who was following developments in natural medicine facilitated our meeting. Till this day, plant medicines such as Co Q10 or ubiquinol, Hawthorn berries, lecithin, vitamin E, Magnesium, Kyolic circulation or Kyolic heart support and the likes of them are never absent in his medicines chest.

    In acute or chronic stress, cortisol makes the liver to produce glucose for the blood stream, while adrenalin gets the liver to convert glucose stored as Glycogen back into glucose. The net effect is that there is enough glucose for “FLIGHT or FIGHT” energy response to stress of any sort. When stress becomes chronic, too much glucose in the blood stream may cause Insulin resistance , a condition in which the cells reject insulin and glucose. Insulin is meant to drive glucose into the cells. However, unknown to many persons, insulin cannot effectively do this when there is not enough chromium in their company. Many processed foods have had their chromium removed or significantly reduced. Many nutrition authorities believe the losses may be up to 96 percent. About 86 percent of zinc is also lost. Yet, zinc is required for immunity, good vision and prostate gland health. Rejected by the cells along with glucose, because of chromium deficiency, insulin stays in the blood vessels where it causes soft muscles to multiply and reduce passage for blood flow. Such vessels are described as “ muscle bound”, and their situation may become impossible to remedy. It is a cause of hypertension. Too much glucose in the blood vessels not only thickens the blood but further narrows and damages the blood vessels,  thereby causing or worsening hypertension. When these hormones impact what is called the Renin–Angiotensin pathway, constriction of blood vessels and retention of sodium and fluid occurs. Too much fluid means a heavier work load for the heart to push, and hypertension persists. Furthermore, chronic stress may combine with glucose overload to cause inflammation and oxidative stress. In the end, METABOLIC SYNDROME, an evidence of which is abdominal pouch and fat around the belly, may emerge, signalling that a train load of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, heart attack and stroke may not be too far away. Incidentally, October has been designated stroke awareness month by the world stroke organisation.

      Smoking

    Stress and smoking go together. Many journalists do drink and smoke. I was drinking moderately but did not smoke. I never exceeded two bottles on a work day and only went to three when we gathered at the joint for pepper soup, never forgetting my medicines which replaced potassium losses through urination. Nicotine in cigarette smoke constricts blood vessels , inflames them and worsens their constriction, increases heart rate and output, thereby stressing blood vessels.

    Inactivity

    Sedentary lifestyle may cause INSULIN resistance and blood vessel stiffness and obesity, which overtasks the heart. Unused calories build up into fat, blocking  blood vessels, particularly in the heart itself or form around the heart and weigh it down. That is why it is always suggested that every person walk no fewer than 10,000 steps everyday. Even 30 minutes walk a day in measured steps are believed to be enough to help the body to produce enough lipase, a fat- burning enzyme, which will help the body burn fat non stop for the next 24 hours. People who have more brown fat cells are luckier than those who have more white fat cells because white fat cells are rigid and hardly burn on their own. Many persons who think they have low grade fever because their bodies are always warm may simply have more brown fat cells which burn on their own without external push. As for women with heavy-duty buttocks which they regard as sex assets and seductively brandish before men may not appreciate that those hips are one of the body’s dustbins for hiding poisons. When the buttocks are filled up, the tendency is for the abdomen and the breasts, in that order, to step in line to help out as waste and poison storages. That is what excess fat does in the body…to store excess poisons. That is why Europeans do not eat the skin of fish or that of any animal because they know excess fat is a toxin storage.

    Sleep Apnea

    Nigerian sufferers believe village people or their enemies such as witches “press” them “down” during sleep, making them unable to breathe, whereas the air passages are blocked by inflammation and they are not getting enough air and oxygen into their bodies. Chronic sleep apnea narrows the blood vessels through oxidative stress and other pathways.

     Poor diet

    High sodium consumption, especially through monosodium glutamate (MSG), poor potassium intake, deficiencies of calcium and magnesium and other minerals may cause water retention, heavier blood load, more work load for the heart and…hypertension. In 1984, my wife and I resolved to remove MSG from our meals at home. A good campaigner against MSG is Mr Hyacinth Uzor, who may be approaching 90 years now, and who may speak for hours on end about its dangers to health.

    Kidney disease

    Deceased kidney(s) may cause sodium elevation, potassium depletion, heavy blood, insulin resistance and hypertension. Hypertension, too, may cause kidney damage through some complex mechanisms

    Conclusion

    Hypertension is preventable, can be well managed and even reversed in some cases, using plant medicines. Some cases have responded favourably to increased dietary consumption of potassium and avoidance of dietary sodium overload through MSG taste enhancers. I have been probably luckier than many persons of my age, 75, because I have been precautionary for more than 25 years now. From my diet, I nullified white flour and whole wheat bread, cow’s milk, poultry egg and chicken, fried and processed food, white rice, sugar and I have never eaten noodles. Besides, I have been taking herbs for kidney, liver, blood and blood vessel cleansing, as well as plant medicines which energise the heart. The kidneys and the liver are poison filters and, like fuel filters in automobiles, need regular cleansing to remove blood and blood vessel contaminants. My suggestions for cleansing with which I have worked for more than 35 years are:

    LIVER: milk thistle, carqueja, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion, common club moss, turmeric etc

    KIDNEYS: corn silk, dandelion, cilantro, parsley, uva ursi, hydrangea, papaya leaf, horsetail, cranberry etc

    HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS: CO Q 10, ubiquinol, Kyolic heart support, Kyolic circulation, vitamin E, cayenne, gotu kola, Gingko biloba, butcher’s broom, magnesium, coral calcium, Cardiotonic pills (CP), selenium, calcium + vitamin D3 etc.

    I believe that we can have fewer walking corpses in newsrooms and in society generally if we learn to take care of our bodies even better than we care for our printing presses and broadcast equipment or, for policemen, the riot gears, the rifles and the uniform. The policemen in Agege, Lagos, who fled into safety through the windows of their offices during the END SARS rebellion and pulled their uniforms in street corners will appreciate what I have just spoken about. Many of them used to congregate in KEYSLEY’S pharmacy shop near the fly over bridge to check their blood pressure, random blood sugar levels and buy anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic drugs. Sadly, I have lost touch with them all because the pharmacy store has given way to development and relocated to Surulere also in Lagos. Nevertheless, this is a rememberance shout out to you all in the expectation that you have all migrated from the ranks of WALKING CORPSES

  • Hypertension: shout out to Nigeria’s ‘walking corpses’ (1)

    Hypertension: shout out to Nigeria’s ‘walking corpses’ (1)

    As a trainee sub-editor on the Daily Times newspaper in 1971, I did not pray to become an Editor. There are several rungs of a step ladder between the sub editor and the Editor. Very early in my professional career, I discovered each of them so pressure packed that it could shorten human life. Who would like to become deceased by a job, live a life of pain and then die young? In those days, journalists lived rough lives and were said to have short life spans, often dying from hypertension and related diseases. I am hypertension free and alive today probably because I learned very early how to cope with the stress which is inseparable from the profession. In the beginning, I worked for between 8 and 10 pressure-packed hours, hardly had time for lunch and dinner, lived on unwholesome, on-the-go meals and developed such abdominal discomfeitures which almost took my life. It is somewhat difficult for one to flee from what may be one’s destiny so, I hung on, and ended up as an Editor on two start up newspapers which imposed about 16 hours intense work schedule on me for more than 20 years. Surprisingly, I was not hypertensive, perhaps because I loved the job and the biochemistry which love makes in the blood favoured me. It was possible, also, that I am hypertension- free because, later on, I knew what foods to eat and which ones to avoid, and what food supplements to add to my diet. As a hint, I have completely avoided Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in my meals cooked at home since 1984 that is for 41 years. MSG adds taste to food, no doubt. However, it is overloaded with artificial sodium. Many doctors ask their hypertensive patients to avoid sodium as best as they can, but neither the doctors nor their patients worry enough about MSG. Therefore, it was not surprising to me that cardiologist Prof Dike Orji, of the University of Abuja, warned recently that about 38.1 percent of NIGERIA’S’ adult population are hypertensive.That is a whooping 83.82 million persons in an estimated 220,000000 population. Thankfully, I am not hypertensive. Today at 75, my blood pressure hovers between 110/70 and 120/80. In the second part of this two part series, I will share some of my food supplement experiences. Many men should like some of these food supplements which protect the libido against ravages of stress and prevent stress from causing hypertension. Some of them improve brain power, address anxiety and depression, improve muscle tone and strength and enable the consumer to cope better with stress. Some of the others improve conditions of the heart, clean up blocked blood vessels, make calcified or hardened blood vessels to become more supple and, thereby, make more blood to flow easily and reduce hypertension. There are, also, herbs for cleaning the kidneys and the liver, for crushing kidney, liver and gall bladder stones, ridding the crucial organs of stones forming in them, as well as for shrinking a troublesome prostate gland. The editor’s job is often sedentary, easily allowing for lipid build up in blood vessels, enlarged heart and , sometimes, prostate gland challenges from the pressure of sitting for long hours through meetings and poring over almost every line of text in his newspaper. Of all the editors I worked under, only prince Tony Momoh indulged in a game, squash, every Saturday! Even then, he still returned to work in his games paraphernalia! Meanwhile, I would like to return to my days as a stress tormented trainee journalist.

    My colleagues and I resumed work at about 2 pm and called it a day at about 10pm or 11pm. That seemed fair enough, except for the content of those eight or nine hours. Hardly did I arrive home before midnight. My biological clock or the circadian rhythm altered. I hardly slept soundly for more than one or two hours at night, and did not know how, during day hours, to compensate the for the sleep deficit. Nature removes sunlight from particular parts of the earth at definite periods to enable man, beast and plant to take a break from the hustle and bustle and submit themselves for recuperation under a different regime of energy provided by the moon and stars. Newspaper work did not, and still does not, permit this. I had to eat supper terribly late when, between 12 noon and 8pm is the time nature permits the digestion of food and 8pm to 4am is for absorbtion of nutrients from digested food. Already, I was breaching a Law of Nature. I would break more in a journalism career which, at that time and even now, was recognised world-wide to count journalists among the shortest – living professionals.

    My night sleep could never be deep, refreshing or enable the organs to properly recuperate themselves with changing circadian radiations. That could mean premature biological aging well beyond calendrical aging. The intestine could be overstuffed with food digesting too slowly, unable to be voided within 18 hours of ingestion, thereby promoting microbial overpopulation and gas, among other disturbances of late dinner. One of these disturbances was that I was asking the body to be digesting late meals when it was programmed by nature to be absorbing nutrients from early meals. That meant I was giving my body two jobs to do at a time. It would then either perform half of each, leaving dangerous deficits, or perform one task and dispense with the other.

    As a crown on my lifestyle challenges as a trainee sub editor, I did not know how to sleep during day light. So, I bore several hours days and weeks of sleep deficit. I hardly had breakfast because my intestine became bloated. Lunch was out of the question because the sub editors’ desk of those days had no room for lunch break. We all made do with sausages, meatpies, buns or puff puff, soft drinks. At 21, that is 54 years ago, I was installmentally dying, and could have been gone but for my maternal grandfather in the village who got a herbalist there to rid my intestine of its gas overload. The gas had built up so much that one slice of bread was enough to impact me with shortness of breath for hours.

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    Henry Odukomaya

    I returned to work soon after, wondering how Mr Henry Odokumaya, the Editor, was coping. I did not realise that he, too, was suffering beneath his well-cut suits and that, a few years ago, it would be my lot to help him to avert surgery caused by heavy, late dinner. I discussed this in a chapter I contributed to a book by some journalists to mark his last well celebrated birthday.

    In 1971, he made me pray never to become an Editor. What kind of job was the editor’s?, I never ceased to wonder. He arrived the office at about 10am, read all page proofs for editions due for printing but took a break at 3pm or 4pm for lunch at home and returned to the office at about 9pm to work again till goodness knew when! Prince Tony Momoh who succeeded Mr Odukomaya worked like that. The other cases which made me think of quitting journalism were those of Mr Animashaun, news editor and Alhaji Alade Odunewu, an Editor in the Times group and the popular columnist known as ALLAHDEY, who wrote the instructive column, WALKING CORPSES, two words I borrowed for the title of this article.

    Animashaun

    My last work contact with him was on the Federal Budget of a particular year. The Daily Times of those days could break the budget down to how much it would cost you in terms of bath soap to have a good shower in the morning and another before bed, or the cost of rice and beans or okro soup on your dining table. It was not garbage in garbage out budget reporting. Comparisons were made with previous budgets so that a definitive statement could be made. That day’s job was hectic. Mr Animashaun and I were about the last persons to leave the newsroom. I was behind him as we descended the stairs on 3,5,7 Kakawa Street. It was late. I headed for the bus terminus on Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, near Tinubu Square. He boarded his car. I did not realise he wasn’t heading home but straight to a hospital. He must have been experiencing severe headaches or a pounding heart or both. These are among several symptoms which hypertension may prevent, if at all it does, but which many persons do not pay serious attention to or take for granted. Many persons confront these warning signals with self medications. They are lucky, or so they assume, if the tide ebbs. Often, however, the problem goes underground and resurfaces, packed with more vigour to strike harder on a doom’s day.

    As I said, Mr Animashaun and I went out different ways, unknown to me…for life. We had to return to work on a Sunday. I bought a copy of the Saturday paper to review our work the day before. On Sunday morning, I almost collapsed when I bought a copy of the Sunday Times, saw Mr Animashaun’s photograph and beside it a report which announced his death the previous day!

    Allah Dey

    I did not work directly with him, but I always read his column. One of the most fascinating to me was the one he titled WALKING CORPSES. Apparently, he had lived with HYPERTENSION for a long time, raising the bars of the risk factors without realising he was installmentally dying. What finally got him to hospital, I do not remember. I recall, however, the account that his doctors detained him in the hospital, explaining that it was a miracle he had not died. The degree of his hypertension at that time was better imagined. Alhaji Odunewu, who would later become chairman of The Nigerian Press Council(NPC), would later pay more attention to his health. It was on this platform I interacted more with him when I was Secretary General of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and a representative of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) at NPC meetings. At that time, I had swallowed the journalism bait and became an editor, overcoming the frightening images of my journalism suffered progenitors, but learned to become more adapted to facing the challenges with nutrition and herbal medicine. It was a privilege and honour for me, as in the case of Mr Henry Odukomaya, to also be in support of Alhaji Odunewu. Apparently, his hypertension challenges had not completely effaced. He despised being on a medication which, he said, made him feel as though red pepper was in his eyes. I suggested some remedies for it and other complaints. For some time, I heard nothing from him. Then, he went to either the United Kingdom or to the United States. His doctor there referred him to a doctor in Egypt who was said to be a good authority on the ailment(s). So, off to Egypt Alhaji Odunewu went. He was such a humble person that, on his return home and right from the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, he telephoned me to ask that I re-advise him of my suggestions. When I did and he checked his hand bag, he discovered that he had brought back from Sokoto what were in his “Sokoto” pockets. Thereafter, we often discussed health matters until he passed.

    June One Hospital

    This hospital in Lagos was situated on Opebi road Ikeja, opposite Salvation Road junction with Opebi road. It was the official medical facility for staff of THE COMET newspaper, a start up venture at that time. One day, the medical director, Dr Abiola, held a meeting with some executive directors of the company to appraise them of the health of the staff and to ask what the company could do about it. As a doctor, it was the first time she would be seeing a large number of journalists diagnosed with hypertension. Sadly for Dr Abiola, journalism couldn’t re-adjust itself from pressure and stress. Till this day, the news machine is driven not just by deadline but more by the sense of responsibility of its practitioners which leaves no stone in today’s work unturned for tomorrow’s work men. Investor confidence in the business is too high to be taken for granted as is the risk of lateness to the market. If one page of advertisment costs N300,000 and there are 20 in an edition which misses the market, that is not only N6 million lost in one day, but more from the newsprint, ink, other printing materials, energy and labour costs. Advertisers may sue a company if the newspaper causes them to lose their own market. Consistent lateness will cause advertisers and readers to flock elsewhere. Thus grows the stress traditionally, with the search for invisibility or exclusivity in the news industry, when newspapers seek to beat one another to a great story. Imagine what Segun Osoba, as a young reporter, would have gone through to be the first reporter to discover the body of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, prime minister of Nigeria, after the January 1966 military coup. On the day the American president George H.W Bush’s deadline to Iraqui president Saddam Hussein to quit Kuwait expired, I was Editor of the Guardian newspaper and made senior editorial staff work all night. Thus, we were able to be the only newspaper which reported the outbreak of hostilities in full. Photographer Oseni Yusuf aka Zoom Lens captured from CNN still photographs of rockets and gunfire which lit up the Baghdad night sky. CNN journalists Peter Arnett, John Holliman and Bernard Shaw risked their lives to report the event to the world as their country’s president was bombarding even the hotel in which they lodged. Imagine their cortisol and adrenaline blood levels and the risk of hypertension and the corollary diseases to them while many husbands and wives wrapped around each other in bed, exchanging RADIATIONS and cooling off the tensions of the day’s work. In The Guardian newsroom that night, work pressure of the previous long day did not abate. These were men and women who had been working for 24 hours non stop and had to stay on another long night, without sleep, eating and drinking anything that came their way. On the day scud missiles were fired on Israel, I jumped into my car at 6a.m, barely two hours after I arrived home from 15 hours of work, after listening to the news on BBC, to stop THE PRESS for a newer edition of that report. Many reporters go through health challenging experiences at work. MR Ted Iwere, who would become Features Editor of the start up THE GUARDIAN newspaper, was received at the airport in Lagos by his friends and family on his return from the United States with a Master’s degree in journalism. He decided to stop over at THE GUARDIAN and to announce his plan to join us one or two weeks later. OYINLADE BONUOLA was the Editor. He had been worrying about a competent reporter to send to Gboko, where the National Party of Nigeria(NPN) was to begin his 1983 presidential election campaign. Ted Iwere knew the rules of the game. He couldn’t say “NO” despite long hours of air travel and possible jet lag. His beautiful report on the campaign was titled THERE’S NOTHING GOING FOR GBOKO. By that, he meant that Gboko was a sleepy town which was woken up and lit up by the political campaign of some of NIGERIA’S’ biggest money bags and noisiest politicians. Till this day, I tease him it was his best! His family and friends, probably wondering what kind of profession he was into, had returned home without him!

    Dr Abiola heard many more of such stories of deadlines and sense of commitment to the profession. Perhaps only in the military and in radio broadcasting do you find such life. Most radio stations open at about 4.30 am. The staff are not well paid. They run their shows till about 3p.m , find something else to do till midnight for a living. Those who run love doctor shows are on till about 3a.m and still manage to feature on daytime shows.

    Hypertension, The Silent Killer…

    It is so called because, often the sufferer experiences no warning signals before the axe dangles or strikes. That is why, in this season of global enlightenment about HYPERTENSION, this article is dedicated to JOURNALISTS and persons who work under stressing conditions. Alhaji Odunewu did not see his hypertension coming until his doctors made him see himself and many of us as… WALKING CORPSES. Mr Animashaun probably saw it coming too late …and he died.

    Next week: some possible causes of hypertension, their risk factors, and how to prevent, reverse or successfully hold this problem in check.

  • Why hypertension is rising—and what you can do about it

    Why hypertension is rising—and what you can do about it

    One minute, you’re feeling fine. The next, you’re in the emergency room, recovering from a stroke or heart attack you never saw coming. That’s the terrifying reality of hypertension — or high blood pressure. It’s known as the “silent killer” for a reason: it quietly damages your heart, brain, kidneys and blood vessels without any warning signs — until it’s too late.

    In Nigeria, the threat is spreading rapidly, leaving many homes haunted by tales of agony and sorrow. Yet, despite repeated warnings from the Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) and the Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS), many still remain unaware—or dangerously dismissive—of just how deadly it can be. The silver lining, however, is that understanding high blood pressure — and taking a few simple steps — could save your life or the life of someone you love.

    Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. Think of it like water flowing through a hose — when the pressure is just right, everything works smoothly. But when that pressure stays too high for too long, it begins to wear down the system. That’s what happens in hypertension. The danger here is that high blood pressure usually causes no serious symptoms. You can feel perfectly fine — all while your arteries are hardening and your heart is straining to keep up. Left untreated, hypertension quietly raises your risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and other life-threatening complications.

    A healthy blood pressure reading hovers around 120/80 mmHg. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), hypertension is diagnosed when readings consistently hit 140/90 mmHg or higher. The scary part is that this condition can go undetected for years, slowly damaging your body from the inside out. WHO adds that more than 1.28 billion adults worldwide are living with high blood pressure, and the vast majority — especially in low- and middle-income countries — are unaware they have it. In Nigeria, the statistics are particularly alarming. The NHS estimates that one in three adults has hypertension, while WHO puts the national prevalence at 31.2 per cent — affecting nearly equal proportions of men and women. That’s millions of Nigerians unknowingly living with a ticking time bomb.

    As NHS President Simeon Isezuo, a professor of medicine and consultant cardiologist, warned during the 2025 World Hypertension Day, “Only about one-third of Nigerians with hypertension are aware of their condition. This is largely because hypertension presents no symptoms. Only about 10 per cent of those affected are on treatment, and in fact, less than 2.5 per cent achieve blood pressure control.” For millions, the first major sign is a crisis — a stroke, a heart attack, or sudden kidney failure. The global health body says hypertension is a leading global health concern, responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths each year—about 13.5 percent of all deaths worldwide. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Alarmingly, more than 80per cent of the global burden of high blood pressure falls on low- and middle-income countries. In Nigeria alone, WHO says hypertension accounted for 10,692 deaths in 2020.

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    What’s driving the surge in hypertension? Experts point to a mix of rapid urbanisation, highly processed diets, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyles, and the soaring cost of living as key culprits. It’s a perfect storm — and perhaps most alarming of all, hypertension is no longer a condition confined to the elderly, with more and more young professionals, university students and new parents being diagnosed. Many skip routine check-ups, wrongly assuming high blood pressure is a concern only for older adults — a dangerous misconception. Often, it’s not until a health crisis strikes that they realise the truth. In today’s Nigeria, many people are juggling a cocktail of pressures: demanding jobs, gruelling commutes, financial instability, and unhealthy lifestyle habits — all of which quietly drive blood pressure higher. Left unchecked, hypertension can lead to early heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage — devastating outcomes that rob individuals of energy, productivity and years of life.

    The good news is that hypertension is not only manageable — it’s often preventable. And it starts with one simple step: know your numbers. Regular blood pressure checks are essential, even if you feel healthy. Many Nigerians are unaware they’re living with high blood pressure until it leads to something far more serious. Awareness is the first line of defence. According to the NHS and NCS, maintaining healthy blood pressure comes down to a series of small but impactful lifestyle changes. It means rethinking your diet — cutting back on salty, sugary and highly processed foods, and choosing more fresh, home-cooked meals rich in fruits and vegetables. It means making movement a part of your daily life, whether through walking, dancing, or even just taking the stairs instead of the lift.

    Managing stress is just as important as diet and exercise. Simple practices like journaling, listening to calming music, or carving out quiet moments each day can help protect both your mental and physical well-being. Prioritising quality sleep — aiming for seven to nine hours each night — supports your heart just as much as it lifts your mood. And of course, avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol are central to keeping your blood pressure in check.

    But above all, don’t rely on self-medication. Over-the-counter remedies might offer temporary relief, but they may not address the root cause — and they can delay the medical help you truly need. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or have a family history of hypertension, diabetes, or obesity, talk to a healthcare professional. Small decisions today can prevent life-threatening outcomes tomorrow. Know your numbers. Make informed changes. Your health — and your future — depend on it.

    Remember, your health comes first. With regular checks, awareness and a few consistent lifestyle changes, you can take control. Heart health isn’t just about numbers — it’s about your energy, your peace of mind, and your future. High blood pressure may be silent, but it’s deadly when ignored. So, track your blood pressure and stay aware of your health metrics. Make better choices and inspire others to do the same. In a country that never slows down, your well-being must be a priority. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Until next week — stay healthy, stay informed. Questions or suggestions? Reach us via WhatsApp or email.

  • FOPL: FG closes gap on hypertension, stroke, heart attack

    FOPL: FG closes gap on hypertension, stroke, heart attack

    The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Nigerians to make healthier food choices through clear and visible nutritional information, as part of efforts to tackle the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

    To advance this goal, it inaugurated the National Technical Working Group on Front-of-Pack Labelling (NTWG-FOPL) on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The group is tasked with developing a national framework to guide food policy, enhance consumer awareness, and help reduce the prevalence of diet-related illnesses linked to excessive consumption of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

    The technical working group includes experts from government agencies, civil society, academia, and development partners. Its duties include validating a national nutrient profiling model, reviewing international best practices, conducting consumer behaviour research, and developing a roadmap for nationwide implementation.

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    The group is also tasked with designing a public education campaign to ensure the system is understood across all demographics, from cities to rural communities.

    While inaugurating the working group, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, described the initiative as a critical milestone in implementing the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its 2023 Implementation Plan.

    She noted that NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions now account for nearly 30 percent of all deaths in Nigeria, with the probability of premature death from these illnesses standing at 22 percent among people aged 30 to 69.

    “Behind each of these numbers is a real family struggling with hospital bills and preventable suffering. We owe them better,” she said.

    Represented by her Senior Technical Adviser, Dogara Okara, the Permanent Secretary explained that Front-of-Pack Labelling is a globally endorsed strategy by the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide simple warning messages, such as colour-coded symbols on the front of packaged foods to alert consumers about high levels of sugar, salt, and fats.

    “Nigerians deserve to know, at a glance what they’re feeding their families. This tool will especially benefit those living with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension,” she noted

    Kachollom said the initiative builds on Nigeria’s broader public health efforts, including the sodium reduction guidelines launched in March and the 2022 NAFDAC regulation aimed at eliminating industrially produced trans fats.

    “The success of this programme depends on our ability to create a labelling system that is locally relevant, culturally appropriate, and universally understood,” Kachollom said.

    Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the WHO, the Technical Officer for Nutrition at the organization, Dr. Pindar Wakawa, commended Nigeria’s leadership in launching the FOPL initiative, calling it an important step in the country’s fight against diet-related diseases.

    He said the programme aligns with the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one-third.

    He warned, however, that this cannot be achieved without strong regulatory measures to counter unhealthy food environments.

    Citing WHO’s 2018 Nigeria country profile, Wakawa said cardiovascular disease accounts for 11% of total deaths, cancers 4%, chronic respiratory diseases 2%, and diabetes 1%.

    He noted that poor nutrition remains a key driver largely due to the excessive intake of sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats often consumed unknowingly due to unclear packaging.

    “Front-of-Pack Labelling is a cost-effective and practical tool that helps consumers make better dietary decisions. It gives people power over what they eat, especially in a market saturated with ultra-processed foods,” he said.

    Wakawa also commended Nigeria’s recent policy strides, the sodium reduction guidelines, the sugary drinks tax, and trans-fat regulations but emphasized that tying these efforts together with a robust FOPL system would amplify their impact.

    John Atanda, Director and National Coordinator for Safety and Quality Programmes at the ministry, said the rise in hypertension now affecting an estimated 44 percent of Nigerian adults, was among the triggers for the government’s push for food labelling reform.

    “This initiative is about saving lives. We need a labelling system that even rural communities can understand, possibly in local languages,” he said.

    He explained that the system would use easily recognizable colour codes like red for high sodium or sugar to quickly alert consumers of potential health risks, adding, “It’s especially critical for those with pre-existing health conditions”.

    Development partners and civil society organizations, including the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), among others, public health advocates praised the initiative as a long-overdue step towards food justice.

    Abayomi Sarumi, Associate Director for the Food Justice Program at CAPPA, said, “It is not enough for people to have access to food, it must be safe, nutritious, and transparently labelled.

    “For too long, producers have known what’s in their products while consumers are left in the dark.”

    Sarumi noted that the FOPL programme complements other policies such as the sugar tax and mandatory trans-fat regulation, stressing, “We’re not just putting stickers on food; we’re building a system of accountability that allows Nigerians to make informed decisions and live healthier lives.”

  • The hypertension scourge in Lagos

    The hypertension scourge in Lagos

    SIR: It is no surprise that eight million Nigerians have high blood pressure in Lagos. According to Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, about eight million Nigerians living in Lagos have hypertension. Hypertension also known High Blood Pressure occurs when the force of blood against the artery walls is too high. Stress can cause a steep rise in blood pressure and  is a highway to the grave for many.

    Lagos State which is only one out of Nigeria’s 36 states may seem a small sample size for this alarming revelation, but that is far from the case. For starters, it is the commercial capital of the country, its industrial hub, economic nerve center, innovation incubator and self-acclaimed center of excellence.

    The state is also a microcosm of Nigeria, a sort of melting pot for Nigerians from all walks of life who collect together in the state in pursuit of economic opportunities under the largely valid apprehension that the grass is greenest there.

    With a population of about 16 million, Lagos, which was Nigeria’s capital until 1991 is Nigeria’s veritable pressure cooker. Indeed, life in Lagos is not for the faint of heart and for even kids born in the city, a battle is afoot from day one.

    According to the Global Liveability Index 2024 of the Economic Intelligence Unit, Lagos is the 7th least liveable city on earth.

    It partly explains the epidemic of hypertension in the state where life is always on the fast track with very little time to pause.

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    But to think that it is only Lagos that has a record level of hypertension would be to ignore the obvious. Many people do not even know that they have the condition.

     High blood pressure also known as hypertension is a leading cause of heart diseases, stroke and kidney failure and other states should emulate Lagos State in conducting free screening, sensitising people about their health conditions and the best way to manage those conditions.

    Nigerians who mostly ignore safety tips need to get more proactive about their health if a silent killer like hypertension is to be warded off.

    Eating heart-healthy foods, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, dropping harmful habits like smoking, as well as managing stress and getting enough good-quality sleep can go a long way.

    • Ike Willie-Nwobu, Ikewilly9@gmail.com
  • Lagos launches free screening exercise to tackle hypertension, diabetes

    Lagos launches free screening exercise to tackle hypertension, diabetes

    The Lagos State Government has launched a state-wide free screening for hypertension and diabetes for residents, an initiative under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum nationwide ‘10 Million Project’ campaign aimed at addressing the silent killers of hypertension and diabetes.

    The campaign tagged: ‘Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers,’ is set to run from Monday, October 28 to Sunday, November 3, 2024, and will provide free screenings for blood pressure and blood sugar across all local government areas in the state, to screen 800,000 Lagosians within the one-week window, as part of the Lagos quota of the 10 million Nigeria project.

    At a media briefing held at the Folarin Coker Staff Clinic in Alausa-Ikeja, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, highlighted the campaign’s objective to make health screening accessible to every resident in Lagos State, underscoring the commitment to proactive health-seeking behaviours among residents.

    Abayomi introduced the public to what he termed the ‘Silent Killers,’ diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

    He elaborated on how these conditions often progress without symptoms, quietly causing damage to organs like the heart, eyes, and kidneys.

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    He emphasised the importance of regular health checks and encouraged residents to participate actively in the campaign to ‘Know their numbers.”

    During his presentation, he explained that a significant portion of the city’s 30 million residents population are living with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity – yet many remain unaware of their dire situations.

    “With a hypertension prevalence rate of 30%, a staggering 8.67 million people in Lagos are affected by high blood pressure. Even more concerning, 70% of those living with hypertension, which amounts to over 6 million individuals, are completely unaware of their condition. Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease, strokes, and kidney failure, making this lack of awareness particularly dangerous”, he said.

  • How to tackle hypertension, by experts

    How to tackle hypertension, by experts

    Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) has held its 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said data suggests 30 per cent of adults in Nigeria have hypertension, or high blood pressure.

    Abayomi noted the numbers are escalating due to morbidity, mortality and economic impact on the population.

    He urged states to take a cue from Lagos by providing policies to lessen cost of medication.

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    “Lagos State government will soon establish a drug management agency, which will not create an avenue for us to cost-contain, and promote production of generic drugs for metabolic diseases locally so we can stabilise the cost of drugs,” he said.

    President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Bala Audu said hypertension is a global health concern affecting 1.28 billion adults, especially in low and middle-income countries.

    Audu said the Federal Government should ensure affordability of medicines for non-communicable diseases and encourage local production of generic products.

    President of NHS, Simeon Isezuo, said the event was to honour its past leaders, especially the late Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe, foundation president.

  • Hypnic hypertension

    Have you measured your blood pressure before going to bed and on waking up?  You don’t have a blood pressure monitor? You need to get one sometime.  You are going to become a researcher.  Why not you? We are all important for the improvement of human life through better knowledge.

    I have been a researcher for more than thirty years.  There are various forms of scientific discoveries.  There is disciplinary discovery.  Experts with disciplinary knowledge and skills do research for better understanding of a subject or topic.  This leads to an increase in the world’s body of knowledge. Such knowledge may be utilized to generate some product or some needed service.  Generally, undiluted disciplinary knowledge is too poor for generating new products and industry.

    Then there is multidisciplinary discovery.  This kind of discovery is a compendium of evidence or results from different experts from different disciplines or a compendium of evidence or results by one expert employing knowledge and skills of different disciplines. Multidisciplinary information, knowledge, or discovery is important for better understanding of an issue and for the development of goods, products, and services; for solutions to human problems, for improvement of human life, and for improved civilization.

    Disciplinary and multidisciplinary research are done by professional experts through ethical means, within professional provisions, and under competent authorities.

    Then there is serendipity, or important discoveries by chance. The word serendipity was coined by the English author Horace Walpole in 1754 and is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as: “The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for”. In the course of our everyday life, work, and activities, we can discover facts, information, knowledge that can change lives for the better and contribute to better civilization. There are people who have a strong power of observation without education or training for such.  The prophets, poets, writers, and artists, of our world tend to have such character or power. But every human being is an observer and generally, the more alive we are body, mind, or spirit, the better our power of observation and knowledge of things. Actually, many of us routinely pass by important issues without employing our power of observation which is a power of fortune or freedom.

    For most people, blood pressure has a daily pattern which depends on circadian rhythm, the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin hormonal system. Healthy people usually have a fall (or dip) in blood pressure during the night. Healthy blood pressure starts to rise a few hours before wake up but not to hypertensive levels. It continues to rise during the day, may peak mid-afternoon, and then it drops.  This is the common pattern in healthy people. Some people have abnormally high blood pressure at night. Nocturnal hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure that is greater than120 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure that is greater than 70 mmHg.

    Hypnic high blood pressure (hypertension) is one of those conditions that is not yet well-understood in the field of medicine. A person goes to sleep with normal blood pressure but develops hypertension during sleep.   Hypnic hypertension is a paradox.  Very little is known about it.  It is not yet understood.  Multidisciplinary and serendipitous evidence are needed for a better understanding and treatment of the condition.

    Some doctors associate high blood pressure during sleep with obstructive sleep apnea in obese people. Such persons may snore and have interrupted sleep patterns.  Generally, during sleep, the nervous system and blood hormones are normalized.  Nerve activities and hormones control blood pressure.  Thus disrupted sleep affects blood pressure. Doctors would investigate a person’s sleep pattern to rule out sleep apnoea. The patient may have to embark on weight loss and to wear a breathing device at night. Improving breathing in this way may stop hypnic high blood pressure in such persons.

    Having high blood pressure during the night or early morning may be associated with other conditions such as cardiovascular disease; diabetes; kidney disease; nervous system disorders; poorly manage hypertension; or thyroid problems. A doctor may recommend a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring test. This device measures blood pressure at regular intervals over a 24-hour period and gives the doctor the big picture.

    Hypnic hypertension may not be associated with a serious condition. Increase in blood pressure may not give a sign (symptom), yet it is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular events, irreversible damage to the body organs, and perhaps sudden death.

    A person with hypnic hypertension may need to discover his or her own risk factors.  Having a living power of observation may result in serendipitous discovery. Risk factors may include anything from air pollution by electricity generators or other environmental factors, night-shift work, tobacco use, anxiety, stress, and lifestyle.

    Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • One in three Nigerian adult population hypertensive

    The Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS) has said that one out of every three adults in Nigeria had high blood pressure.

    Dr Okechukwu Ogah, the President of the association, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Friday.

    According to him, the rising prevalence of high blood pressure is mainly caused by unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle.

    “At the just concluded 47th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, it was noted with great concern that the frequency of heart disease in Nigeria is not only high but rising.

    “The increase in heart disease may not be unconnected to the current lifestyle that favours physical inactivity and consumption of unhealthy diets, rich in dietary salt.

    “The information making rounds in the social media, on high blood, cholesterol as unharmful is false, especially in the
    presence of other risk factors such as hypertension,” he said.

    Ogah, a consultant cardiologist at the Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, said that more people were presenting to hospitals with cases of heart attack like never before.

    He appealed to people to take personal responsibility for their health through healthy diet and regular physical exercise.

    “The hitherto almost non-existent cases of heart attacks are now seen more often in the hospitals.

    “Together, we all can reduce the projected burden of heart disease when we make and keep our promises, to prevent heart disease and stroke by becoming more physically active, eating right and quitting tobacco for good.

    “It is also prudent to do regular medical check-up, including blood pressure check, even when there is no apparent ill-health.

    “One is never too young or too old to make healthy lifestyle choices.“

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    Ogah said that making the right choices would not only keep one healthy, today, but also prevent premature deaths from stroke and heart diseases.

    “Exercise can be easy and fun especially when it is built into the daily routine.

    “Involving the whole family creates group support and quality time with loved ones.

    “Aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, gardening, jogging, dancing, engaging in house-chores such as sweeping, swimming, washing your car for 30 -45minutes three times a week will be just fine.

    “A healthy diet is one that contains all the food nutrients in the right proportion.“

    The medical practitioner also advised people to eat moderate sized meal portions, reduce intake of salt to less than a teaspoon per day.

    He also called on them to limit consumption of fatty foods and processed foods, including soda and to increase intake of fresh fruits, adding that vegetables were invaluable in maintaining heart health.