The Chief Medical Director of Rock Foundation Hospital, Awka, Dr. Chukwudi Njelita, has expressed concern over what he described as “the increasing prevalence” of high blood pressure among adolescents and youths in the country.
Njelita spoke on Wednesday in an interview with reporters in Awka, noting that the development differs from past experiences.
He said that, in the past, the ailment was more common among adults and the elderly.
He added that the medical advice that people aged 40 and above should check their blood pressure every six months or monthly was no longer tenable.
According to Njelita, in the past, little attention was paid to checking the blood pressure of those below 20 years.
“Two illnesses that are disturbingly prevalent now are stroke, also known as cardiovascular accident, and kidney failure, both of which are linked to hypertension or poorly managed hypertension.
“The worrisome aspect is that young people below 20 years now make up a large proportion of those with hypertension; this used to be quite rare in the past.
“The belief that hypertension is age-related and more common among people aged 40 and above is being challenged by current realities.
“If somebody develops hypertension at an early stage, it begins to affect vital organs of the body, especially the kidneys. This is a key reason for the rise in renal failure among youths,” Njelita said.
He advised that cardiovascular accidents, which result from bleeding in the brain or blockage of a major blood vessel, should be managed promptly, stressing that there is no such thing as a partial stroke.
“Stroke is stroke; there is nothing like a partial stroke,” he said.
The medical expert also warned against excessive consumption of junk foods and beverages rich in refined sugar.
He explained that refined sugar disrupts the body’s natural metabolic processes, leaving harmful substances in the system.
“The presence of refined sugar interferes with the body’s natural functions,” he said.
