Associate Professor of cardiology, Dr Anam Mbakwem, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos, has expressed concern over the increasing rate of hypertension among Nigerians.
According to Mbakwem about 30-45 percent of Nigerians are hypertensive and very few of them are aware of their condition, Vanguard reports.
While speaking in Lagos at this year's World Hypertension Day Conference, entitled "Know Your numbers", the doctor who is also President, Nigerian Cardiac Society, said High Blood Pressure was the most powerful risk factor for Cardiovascular diseases. She also complained about the poor awareness of the disease.
" What this means is that every 10 Nigerian adults, there is a possibility that five of them have high blood pressure."
She added that only one third of the population are aware of their hypertensive status, and even so, very few of those that are aware realise that their condition can be controlled.
"Empirical evidence confirms that hypertension is an important public health challenge worldwide that is growing."
She therefore urged Nigerians to imbibe the habit of monitoring their blood pressure regularly to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and other related diseases, she also said lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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