Say No I Don’t Care To Lifestyle Diseases

With reference to WHO fact sheets (2017), cardiovascular diseases are remarkably leading the race as the number one leading cause of death. Its compatriot diabetes is recorded in 1 in 10 adults. The obvious sedentary lifestyle is the remote and eminent underlying cause of most chronic diseases labeled as lifestyle diseases.

Centuries ago the world faced the problem of dealing with communicable diseases that spread from person to another through variety of ways that include; contact with blood and bodily fluids, breathing in an airborne virus, or being bitten by an insect. Even though efforts to curb such communicable diseases such as, those through touch (staphylococcus), sexual intercourse (HIV, gonorrhea), fecal/oral transmission (hepatitis A), or droplets (influenza, tuberculosis), bites from insects (mosquito – malaria, yellow fever) and travel through air such as measles has received assurance of appropriate medical therapy and evaluation of disease prevention and control programmes, we are still battling with their elimination and eradication. Non- communicable diseases also referred to as chronic diseases tend to be of long duration and are the result of combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors.

The main types of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular (heart attacks and strokes), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma), and diabetes. These diseases were labeled western diseases but currently it disproportionately affects people in low and middle income countries where more deaths have been recorded.

In Ghana, the situation is no different as the diseases are driven by forces that include rapid unplanned urbanization, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles and population ageing. Most old people from 60 upwards were nominated candidates for non-communicable diseases some three decades ago. The tables turned remarkably as unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity is shown by all age groups in Ghana. Such unhealthy behaviors increases the metabolic risk to chronic diseases with visible signs in people as raised blood pressures, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids and obesity. Modifiable behaviors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol all increase the risk of non-communicable diseases.

Tobacco use, both active and passive (exposure to second-hand smoke) is projected to increase markedly over the coming years which may claim millions of lives. Those patients diagnosed as known hypertensive with strict rules restricting their salt / sodium intake are turning deaf ears to such education.

Eating too much salt to a known hypertensive raises the amount of sodium in the bloodstream disturbing fluid and electrolyte equilibrium and reducing the ability of the kidneys to remove water. The water retention backed Sin the nephron stimulates the rennin-angiotensin system resulting in higher blood pressures. Some significant deaths are attributed to excess salt/sodium intake.

Alcohol is heavily abused globally especially by the youth with clear patterns emerging between alcohol consumption and the development of certain head and neck cancers particularly cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. Alcohol consumption above 80gm/dl is detrimental to health. Alcohol related deaths are on the rise with most deaths attributable to alcohol use in non-communicable diseases.

The disease of the affluent that was earlier linked to the developed states is now becoming major causes of morbidity, mortality and disability in developing countries including Ghana. The late Mayor Courage Quashigah initiated the regenerative health and nutrition project with the focus of promoting health in its totality and prevent diseases but the chapters to this model has been closed as citizens do not want to adopt holistic lifestyles that strengthen and renew the body and mind and prevent diseases.

The Dimona Health model of the African black community living in Dimona, Israel was to be adopted and tried to be adapted to Ghana, but the focus is clearly lost as the four key interventions; healthy diets, exercise, rest and hygiene is more or less not heeded to. Modernization and progress has produced a world in which the body has become increasingly inactive. Some significant deaths can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.

The millennium development goal has birthed the sustainable development goal which is threatened severely by the effects of non-communicable diseases. Reduction of poverty and premature deaths are bound to fail in 2030. The rapid rise of non-communicable disease impedes poverty reduction as the health care costs quickly drain household resources.

Vulnerable and socially handicapped people may die almost immediately from complications of chronic diseases than the rich who may be sustained a while due to access to health services. Vulnerable groups are at a greater risk of being exposed to harmful products such tobacco, unhealthy dietary practices and die sooner because of limited access to health care. Many are unaware that a change in lifestyle is an important factor in the emergence of chronic diseases as causes of increased morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle is generally considered a personal issue.

However, lifestyles are social practices that reflect socio-economic, personal intentions. Modest but achievable adjustments to lifestyle behaviors are likely to have considerable impacts at individual and population level. The message to remain healthy and adopt healthy behaviors; through regular exercise which increases the oxygen utilized by the body, cessation of tobacco production, eating high fibre diets, low fat diets, controlling body weight and learning to cope with stress must be carried by health professionals and the media.

To lessen the impact of lifestyle diseases on individual and society, there is the need of collaboration by all sectors and stakeholders like the health, finance, transport, education, agriculture and others to reduce the risk associated with non-communicable diseases through the formulation of interventions to prevent and control them.

In Ghana, the introduction of the national health insurance has provided some sought of universal access to victims of chronic diseases. The country may be financially burdened should citizens fail to adjust to modest lifestyle behaviors. Chronic diseases can result in loss of independence, years of disability, death and considerable burden on health services.

There is therefore the need to establish programmes for the prevention and control of chronic diseases; through screening for risk groups and treating these diseases and providing access to palliative care for people in need. Lifestyle diseases, a subset of non-communicable diseases is a s a result of the way we live, work and go about everyday lives. Health promotion and preventive health approaches are effective strategies in reducing the disease burden.