Over 20m die yearly of heart diseases, says Cardiac Society

30% of adult Nigerians have HBP, says Cardiac Society

The Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS) has disclosed that 20.5 million people across the world die of heart-related diseases yearly.

NCS said the number of deaths associated with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) is expected to rise to over 23 million by 2030.

Of the number released by the NCS, over 75 per cent were recorded among the low and middle-income countries.

President of NCS, Prof Augustine Odili, disclosed this in a statement as part of activities to mark the 2024 World Heart Day with the theme, “#UseHeartforAction#” yesterday.

In the statement, he explained that the day was set aside to combat the scourge of heart disease and promote heart health.

He said, “There is an astronomical increase in the prevalence of heart disease and its risk factors, coupled with the exponential rise in associated mortality and morbidity in developing countries is a major cause for concern.”

Positing that most countries still don’t prioritise heart health, Odili said 80 per cent of premature deaths from CVD could be prevented by small lifestyle adjustments.

He pointed out that a healthy diet, physical activities, including brisk walking, cycling, jogging and effective stress management could greatly improve heart health.

According to him, the NCS will continue to step up the campaign till 2026, under the theme, ‘Use Heart for Action’ to support individuals to care for their heart, urging leaders to take cardiovascular health seriously by providing a global platform for action.

Advising governments to shift attention from awareness to empowerment with a clear purpose and goal, the expert postulated that a cardiovascular health plan acts as a strategic tool for reducing premature deaths from CVD, while also cutting healthcare costs and productivity losses saving hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide.

He described CVDs as a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease, strokes, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions.

“The rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, is becoming alarming, and this is not unconnected with rapid urbanisation, an increase in air pollution and lifestyle issues.

“A disproportionately alarming rate of almost eight of every 10 deaths occurring due to cardiovascular diseases in low-income countries is, therefore, a call for serious concern,” he said.

He listed some of the risk factors for heart disease to include lifestyle such as lack of physical exercise, smoking tobacco, consuming alcohol, and eating unhealthy diets rich in salt and saturated fats and low in fresh fruits and vegetables.

These behavioural risk factors, he added, may eventually lead to other cardiovascular risks such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids/cholesterol (dyslipidemia), overweight and diabetes mellitus.

“Hypertension is the most common risk factor for heart disease and stroke in Nigeria. Sadly, three of every 10 adult Nigerians have high blood pressure, many of whom are unaware of their hypertensive status,” he said.

The expert advised on effective blood pressure control as a major panacea for reducing cardiovascular risk.

He lamented that only about seven per cent of hypertensive subjects have been shown to achieve effective blood pressure control in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries.

“It follows, therefore, that to maintain good health, we must be mindful of the daily lifestyle choices we make. Making the right decisions keeps you healthy and prevents premature deaths from stroke and heart disease. There is also the need for a strategic plan to tackle the myriad of risk factors in the population.

“High-level decision makers are needed to make a difference, though everyone must be the influencer; professional bodies including the NCS, the patients and the public,” he said.

Odili appealed to people to make the right decisions to enhance cardiovascular health and act with courage in making the right decisions and helping the community to think right about cardiovascular health.