Friday May 17, was World Hypertension Day, this years theme is “Healthy Heart Beat, Healthy Blood Pressure.
The Ministry of Health will be hosting a number of health promotion activities for starting with the launch of Grand Turk Road street event on the 22nd May at 5:30pm in A Walk/Run/Cycle Event starting from Library Tennis Court, the Ministry will host a Mini Health Expo at Cheshire Hall and Cockburn Town Hospital on 24th May at 9:00am simultaneously.
World Hypertension Day is so important because globally, nearly one billion people have high blood pressure (hypertension); of these, two-thirds are in developing countries like the Turks and Caicos Islands. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not realize they have it; that is why it’s important to get blood pressure checked regularly. World Hypertension day therefore provides a platform to sensitize the public about information on the prevention, detection and treatment of high blood pressure or hypertension. Hypertension or high blood pressure has become such a topical issue and recognized internationally by the World Health Organization (WHO) who identified it as the leading cause of cardiovascular deaths and hence had dubbed it as the number one public health priority on World Health Day this last April under the theme “Control Your Blood Pressure”.
Therefore knowing about Hypertension is vital because signs and symptoms are often unnoticed, and global rates continues to increase and reflects that one in every three individuals is affected by high blood pressure which if left untreated can lead to fatal heart attacks, debilitating strokes, and chronic heart and kidney disease. Hypertension affects mainly persons of colour, persons with family history of hypertension or diabetes and persons who lead a sedentary lifestyle or who are overweight or physically inactive.
Interniza McCartney of Health Matters sat down with RTC and explained that high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. You can promote a healthy heart beat and a healthy blood pressure by ensuring that you practice the following lifestyle changes:
• Reducing salt in the diet
• Eating foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium
• Avoiding harmful use of alcohol
• Getting regular exercise
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Avoiding tobacco use
For further information on Hypertension and a healthy heart, kindly contact the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Health Planning and Promotion Unit or any of our Primary Health Care Units throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands via Tel contact 649-946-2801.
