Regular check-ups can help prevent hypertension – Ghanaians told

Dr Michael Tetteh, Herbal Physician and Head of the Herbal Unit at the Tema General Hospital has urged the public to check their blood pressure regularly to prevent and control hypertension.

He said the only way to detect and control hypertension early was through regular checks, noting that in its initial stage, it is asymptomatic and therefore known as the ‘silent killer'.

He gave the advice when he interacted with staff of the Ghana News Agency, Tema Office, as part of sensitising the public in commemoration of World Hypertension Day, which falls on May 17 and is celebrated on the theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!”

He explained that hypertension, which has become a modern-day non-communicable epidemic with higher mortality, only gives symptoms such as headaches when it is in the advanced stage.

This, he noted, could lead to conditions including heart attacks, strokes, and kidney diseases, among others.

According to him, the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics indicated that about 1.2 billion adults aged 30 and above have hypertension, out of which more than two-thirds live in low-middle-income countries, adding that only 12 per cent of the figure has hypertension under control.

Dr Tetteh noted the need for sensitization and education of the public on the need to prevent and control hypertension, indicating that there had been a leap in hypertension cases in the past 10 years.

He explained that blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and was given as two figures, indicating that the top number was the systolic pressure, which measures the pressure when the heart pushes blood out, while the bottom number is the diastolic pressure, which measures the pressure when the heart rests between beats.

“Generally, the ideal blood pressure is considered 120 over 80 mmHg (120/80), and therefore, if the pressure between the blood vessels goes beyond 140/90 in two different readings, then the person has hypertension,” he stated.

He said ageing, family history, obesity, lack of exercise, alcoholism, and smoking, as well as a lower intake of fruits and vegetables, were risk factors for hypertension.

He therefore advocated regular blood pressure checks, getting enough rest, and exercising for at least three hours a week.

GNA