Experts Caution on Salt Intake
Medical experts in Lagos have advised that moderate intake of salt and regular blood pressure check would help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and other related diseases.
The Associate Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Dr. Amam Mbakwem, who said this at a briefing in Lagos, explained that hypertension was one subject every Nigerian should be aware of because the number of people with hypertension keeps increasing daily without symptoms.
With this year’s theme, ‘Know Your Numbers,’ for the World Hypertension Day, Mbakwem, disclosed that more black people have hypertension than whites basically because the way blacks handle salt was a bit different.
She said: “We tend to hold onto more salt because of our climate. We sweat a lot and so we require more salt to balance up. But once too much salt is in the system, it triggers high blood pressure.”
She added that there was also genetic differences between whites and blacks. “The rate at which hypertension develops complications is worse in blacks even for the same level of blood pressure.
“Diet is also another reason for the high rate of hypertensive cases in black people. Hypertension is one subject every Nigerian should be aware of because the numbers are increasing in our nation. About fifteen to twenty years ago, the statistics was about 11 per cent Nigerian adults that had hypertension. These days, we are looking at figures over 30 per cent. In some areas, it’s as high as 47 per cent. Putting it simply, if you meet 100 Nigerian adults, 30 people are hypertensive,” she explained.
The expert said that the disease does not have any sign or symptom. However, she added that few people may have headache. “It is either somebody checks your blood pressure and it is there or an organ has been damaged before it is discovered. That is why we worry about it. It is not just about the numbers, but the damage it causes,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Country Manager, Omron Healthcare Europe, Olugbenga Abiodun, said what was more worrisome was that most Nigerians were unaware of their blood pressure levels, and that posses a great problem.
While addressing the issues on the need to reduce salt intake, Dr. Mbakwem said that “high blood pressure heats up the brain, it can also damage it and that is when they talk about stroke.
“It can damage the eyes, causing blindness. The heart can fail. It can damage the kidneys. It can damage the arteries in the body. That is why we want everybody to know this. If it is discovered early, it is better to manage.
“What we are saying is, check your blood pressure at the slightest opportunity you can ever find. Most pharmacies now have Omron blood pressure monitors.
If you go to buy medication, spare some more time to check your blood pressure. You can also keep a record of your numbers on a daily or weekly basis.”
He therefore called on the government and key stakeholders to start focusing on policies that would help them prevent the development and support the management of this condition.