Hypertension or high blood pressure, the country's number 1 cardiovascular disease has reached "epidemic" proportions in many developing nations.
It is increasing at such a pace that by the year 2000, cardiovascular diseases will be "actively emerging or established" in virtually every nation in the Third World, accounting for 15 to 25% of all deaths.
This was revealed over the weekend by the World Health Organization (WHO) after experts in heart diseases from 17 counties including the Philippines, met recently in Geneva, Switzerland, to find ways of preventing and controlling hypertension in the Third World.
In the Philippines, cardiovascular diseases rank among the too 10 killer diseases.
Hypertension speeds up arteriosclerosis, which narrows the arteries and impedes the flow of blood to the heart, causing heart attacks or strokes.
Dr. Siegfried Nothing, chief of the WHO's cardiovascular diseases program, said that surveys show that heart diseases associated with modern lifestyles are increasing throughout the developing world.
"Country to common belief, heart diseases are not the inevitable consequences of aging. They originate from lifestyle in the industrialized world, imitated in the developing world as rapidly as mass communication diseases."
The main cause of heart diseases are too much fatty foods, salt, alcohol and too little exercise. "Then, add tabacco and cigarettes to the already deadly combination, and the sum total is disaster heart attacks and premature deaths," Bothing added.
Presented at a meeting of heart experts in Geneva on the "Development of Methodology for the Prevention and Control of Hypertension in Developing Countries," the WHO report based it's conclusion from data from 25 surveys on blood pressure levels carried out over a decade in developing countries and Finland, which was selected as representative of industrialized countries.
"These blood pressure levels are approximately the same among populations in developed countries," the WHO report said,.similar to readings in Japan and Finland in the late 80's.
The WHO report said that since hypertension cases will surely increase in Third World countries and since people there cannot afford treatment equal to that of the industrialized world, the international body urged the adoption of " non-pharmacological therapy."
This means exercising and watching diets and weighs, including avoiding foods with plenty of animal fat, salt, and alcohol. It also means no smoking.
The WHO also called for programs needed to detect, prevent and control this " silent killer" because there are no signs of discomfort until one suffered his first heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Jose Yason of the Philippines Heart Center for Asia in Quezon City said " there is already substantial awareness and knowledge about cardiovascular diseases. How to motivate people to practise what they know is major challenge."
To increase awareness of this growing problem and urge various governments act against it, the WHO has launched a program of information and education on the theme: "Heart Attacks Are Developing in Developing Countries Prevent Them Now."
Thanks for reading...😘😘😘
