Alarming: Increasing rate of hypertension among young adults
It is estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure. According medical experts this number is expected to increase to 1.56 billion people by the year 2025.
These latest statistics indicate that about one out of every four adults is being diagnosed with hypertension or what is popularly known as BP.
Interestingly; the condition which is synonymous with elderly people is now being diagnosed among young adults in their thirties as well.
Blood pressure check-up is usually not a daily, weekly, or monthly routine for many individuals here in Ghana. Normally most people go through the procedure of checking their blood pressure when ill.
Knowing ones blood pressure is an important factor which is required before consulting with a medical doctor because this is to determine if ones pressure is high, low or normal.
It is considered to be normal when pressure is a 120/80. However, a value between 120 and 139 over 80 or 90 is referred to as pre-hypertension. Meanwhile an individual whose blood pressure values are higher than 140 /90 indicates that the person is a hypertensive patient.
High blood pressure occurs when the heart is working harder than it should to pump the blood around the body.
The condition which is caused by several factors including smoking, obesity lack of physical activity, old age, stress and alcohol abuse may lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems.
Unfortunately the condition which was associated with old age is gradually being diagnosed among young adults in their thirties.
A recent report by the Ghana Health Service says more people are becoming hypertensive due to unhealthy lifestyles. But how many of us regularly check our pressure levels.
There has been a sharp rise in unprescribed hypertension drug purchases, causing a lot of worry among pharmacists.
Judith Bedi Mensah, e.tv Ghana
Finland, May 08, 2012
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