Heart Disease: Death rate in men doubles after 40, says Cardiologist

A professor at the College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Janet Ajuluchukwu, has said men have more heart problems than women with death rates doubling after age 40.

Ajuluchukwu made this assertion while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview yesterday in Lagos.

The professor said researches proved that many men do not go to the hospital until it is too late.

The cardiologist stressed the need for men to go for regular checkups because conditions such as hypertension do not come with obvious signs.

“Right now, my interest has gone to men, because all over the world, men think that they are stronger. There is this perception that they are strong and they won’t go to the hospital. They believe it is a sign of weakness to say they are sick and have gone to the hospital. Many patients will come and beat their chests and say, ‘in the last 40 years I have not been to the hospital’.

Ajuluchukwu noted that women are more proactive and would usually take advantage of the opportunities they have to do check up whenever they visit the hospital.

She advised men to go for urine, blood pressure and sugar tests regularly.