The Minister of Health Hon Portia Stubbs in her address gave us five concrete steps to minimizing High Blood pressure, not just on World Hypertension day but for everyday living.
A Message to mark World Hypertension Day
From Honorable Porsha Stubbs-Smith
Minister for Health and Human Services
On 17 May 2013, we in the Turks and Caicos Islands will join with the rest of the world in celebrating World Hypertension Day. This year’s theme is “Healthy Heart Beat – Healthy Blood Pressure”.
The world marks World Hypertension Day with activities and campaigns that focus on the causes and consequences of high blood pressure. This week I invite you to visit any of our Primary Care Clinics throughout the TCI and get your blood pressure checked for free.
World Hypertension Day has been established to highlight the preventable stroke, heart and kidney diseases caused by high blood pressure and to communicate to the public information on prevention, detection and treatment. So each year, worldwide May 17th is designated Hypertension Day
Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.
The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels in major organs such as the brain and kidneys.
If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop bulges (aneurysms) and weak spots that make them more likely to clog and burst. The pressure in the blood vessels can cause blood to leak out into the brain and cause a stroke. Hypertension can also lead to kidney failure, blindness, and cognitive impairment.
The health consequences of hypertension can be compounded by other factors that increase the odds of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. These factors include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, and exposure to persistent stress as well as obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus.
1. Everyone can take five concrete steps to minimize the odds of developing high blood pressure and its adverse consequences.
2. Healthy diet: Avoiding harmful use of alcohol i.e. limit intake to no more than one standard drink a day
3. Physical activity: regular physical activity and promotion of physical activity for children and young people (at least 30 minutes a day). Maintaining a normal weight: every 5 kg of excess weight lost can reduce systolic blood pressure by 2 to 10 points.
4. Stopping tobacco use and exposure to tobacco products
5. Managing stress in healthy way such as through meditation, appropriate physical exercise, and positive social contact.
Let us focus our attention on the prevention and control of high blood pressure, as a means of reducing the number of people affected, both now and in the future, by cardiovascular disease.
Thank you
Porsha Stubbs-Smith
Minister of Health and Human Services
There is an information exchange made available from a Speech by Permanent Secretary of Health , that displays about Hypertension at strategic locations (hospitals, banks, etc.),
Other activities planned to celebrate World Hypertension Day include Airing of PSA’s on Hypertension throughout the week of May 17th-24th via local radio stations and Health Matters Recording aired at 7pm on May 20th by Health Team and Workplace visits for Health Screenings & Nutrition Counseling – Island wide on May 21st.
Hypertension is one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide and the problem is growing; in 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion adults will be living with hypertension.1
Permanent Secretary for Health Desiree Lewis in recognition for World Hypertension Day also had her message for the TCI
The MOH is encouraging each and everyone within the Turks and Caicos Islands and beyond to incorporate exercise in your daily schedule, stay active and know your numbers – blood pressure, cholesterol levels as well as your weight and height. A healthy blood pressure will result in a healthy heart beat.
The Ministry invites one and all to listen to their local radio stations for further activities celebrating World Hypertension Day.
