By Isabel Ovalle
The World Health Organization (WHO) commemorated World Health Day yesterday. This year’s celebration was dedicated to hypertension, a condition which affects approximately 33 percent of the Qatari population, according to the latest Qatar Statists Authority’s survey on this issue.
This medical condition is chronic and silent, given that it doesn’t have any apparent symptoms. According to Dr Hashim Al Sayed, many patients underestimate this illness, allowing it to become “a time bomb waiting to explode.”
One in three adults world-wide has high blood pressure. However, studies completed by WHO reveal that this proportion increases with age, from one in 10 people in their 20s and 30s to five in 10 people in their 50s. In Qatar, this condition is mostly related to obesity.
Al Sayed, an Assistant professor at Weil Cornel Medical College in Qatar and Senior Consultant of Family Medicine, added: “We recommend these patients to lose weight, but most of them fail and prefer to use medication.”
Of the 2,496 Qataris aged 18 to 64 years surveyed by QSA, 33 percent were suffering from high blood pressure, 16,7 percent from diabetes and some 21,9 percent from higher-than-normal cholesterol levels.
In this context, experts suggest people to go for a checkup if they’re over 40, smoke, lead a sedentary life or have diabetes. After three consecutive measurements of blood pressure, if the patient registers continuous high levels, he or she will be diagnosed with hypertension.
At this point, explained Dr Deepak Chandramohan, Internist at Naseem Al Rabeeh Medical Centre, before prescribing any medication, we advise patients to introduce changes in their lifestyle during at least three months. These changes are: reduce salt intake, eat a balanced diet, avoid harmful use of alcohol, regular physical activity, maintain healthy body weight and avoid tobacco and shisha.
The specialist also highlighted the symptoms that, if presented together, can be a sign of hypertension. These include headache, dizziness, tiredness, abnormal vision and ringing in the ears, among others. If these symptoms show up it’s suggested to consult a physician and have a blood pressure reading.
Dr Chandramohan also stated that hypertension comes with a whole bouquet of other diseases and can lead to other complications such as heart attacks, artery damage and narrowing or aneurysm.
Some patients have isolated episodes of hypertension due to stress or lack of sleep. To avoid wrongful diagnosis, at least three consecutive readings should be done.
The expert noted that blood pressure can appear at any age. “I have patients as young as 24 years. It’s important for this condition to be diagnosed as early as possible. Patients need to be aware and have their condition followed up,” concluded the doctor.
Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) supported the WHO campaign by encouraging the community to change behaviors that can lead to hypertension. To do so, PHCC decided to let students know about the causes and risk factors of high blood pressure, encouraging them to regularly check their blood pressure, avoid tobacco use, take regular physical activity, mantain a healthy body weight and reducing salt intake.
Eight of its most active Health Promotion Schools in health activities, four intermediate schools and four secondary schools were selected by PHCC to commemorate the day by raising awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure and encourage them to change their lifestyles.
The activities included presentations and educational sessions led by the school nurses, who distributed flyers and offered blood pressure checkup for the students and staff of their schools.
PHCC’s Health Promotion Manager, Yousra Hammad, said: “Non-communicable diseases, including high blood pressure, are the major cause of death in Qatar, accounting for 51 percent of classified deaths in 2010. Up to 80 percent of non-communicable diseases can be prevented, mainly by adopting healthier lifestyles.”
Hammad urged everybody to learn and explore more about high blood pressure. “World Health Day gives us a great opportunity to promote physical health amongst community members. Our focus this year was school students that represent 25 percent of the community but our ultimate aim is to encourage the whole community in Qatar to change behaviors which could have a negative impact on their health and to get their health checked regularly”, she concluded.
The Peninsula
