Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Consultant physician and cardiologist, as well as the Group Medical Manager, Limi Hospitals, Dr. Iseko Iseko, has revealed that sedentary lifestyle, which is also at par with smoking, has been found to be one of the major causes of hypertension.
He said other major causes of hypertension include family history and genetics, excess consumption of salt, stressful events, kidney problems and pregnancy complications among others.
Iseko who disclosed this in Abuja at the maiden health walk which was organised by CardiCare Cardiovascular Specialty Hospital and the Limi Hospital Group, in commemoration of the 2019 World Hypertension Day, said individuals must learn to exercise, take good medication and reduce salt intake in order to keep hypertension at bay.
While lamenting that the new statistics reveal that one in every three Nigerians is hypertensive, with half the number not knowing they have the condition, he said the walk was an initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of the public health concern.
He said:” Hypertension is a multifactorial disease as there are many factors that may come together to cause it. One of the important things is family history and genetics. Typically, black people have been found to handle salt poorly. We also handle water a little bit poorly.
“Then we have stressful events and kidney problems that cause high blood pressure. If they don’t treat it, the same HBP goes to damage the kidney again and it becomes a vicious cycle. Then of course, pregnancy also comes into play.”
