Do you know that poor environment, housing and overcrowding can cause cardiovascular disease?
The Nigerian Cardiac Society, Tuesday explained that most critical cases of cardiovascular diseases can be traced to poverty.
President of Nigerian Cardiac Society, and Lecturer at the University of Ibadan College Hospital, Ugochukwu Ogah,disclosed this while speaking to Journalists on Tuesday.
He spoke at a pre-conference activity for the 51st annual general and scientific conference of Nigerian Cardiac Society, themed Cardiovascular disease, prevention, progress, the gaps and the prospect.
The event commences on Wednesday.
He said, “Poverty can cause cardiovascular disease and there are many ways we can access it, if you are poor, you leave in a poor environment, poor housing, poor background, overcrowding, you are at risk of developing one cardiovascular diseases
“When you are poor, you won’t have money to buy good food, so you will be eating poor food, which is not even good for the body. When you are poor, you won’t have money to buy drugs, for example if you are sick, some people can’t take care of themselves.
“ So poverty is a disease and it tends to run in families and every attempt must be made to break it. You go to school to break that chain; So in Nigeria, we must work towards breaking the yoke of poverty, so that we will live a better life.”
He also said that prevention of the disease is one of the best things to do,and hopes their society is able to bridge the gap.
“We know that the best thing we can do in life is prevention, which is not always the case. People end up developing heart diseases, some can be treated with drugs but some will end up having a surgeon to cut the chest and bring out their heart to repair the heart.
“So we want to see how far we have gone in Nigeria and we want to look at the gaps, not only in radiology but in every part, when we know the gaps, we know how we can fill them.”
President of Cardiovascular Education Foundation, Doctor Obi Emerele, added that the symposium is to educate Nigerians, train, conduct research and provide care for people with cardiovascular diseases.
He said, “Cardiovascular Education Foundation is a non profit organisation based in the united states, our major objective is to advance cardiovascular education, training, research and patient care in sub saharan africa, with special interest in Nigeria.Our foundation has been cooperating with the Nigerian Cardiac Society over the last 9 years we run annual workshops and conduct symposium together.”
Talking about major intervention, Obi said, “ to prevent and reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease is to lower the blood pressure, identify hypertension, try and control it early, avoid cigarette smoking, maintain a lean weigh, diet, exercise, check the cholesterol, control it, then diabetics and try to manage stress, preventing heart disease includes modifying and reducing the risk factors, another thing is to get regular checkups, get diagnosed early, so that you can get quick and effective treatment.”
Also speaking, Professor of cardiovascular medicine , University of Abuja, and chairman of the local organising committee for the 51st annual general and scientific conference of Nigerian Cardiac Society, Professor Augustin Odili, said the conference will bring people from all over the world, both Nigerians and those in the diaspora.
“We have received over 80 abstract in scientific papers and abstract presentation, symposia and workshop will be presented in this conference. We have people who will join us online. It is our hope that at the end of this meeting, we should be able to galvanise ideas, from all around the world, with the overarching aim of improving cardiovascular care in the country” he said.
