Heart diseases are under-diagnosed, say experts
By Chukwuma Muanya
HEART diseases in the country are under-diagnosed because of a lack of basic medical infrastructure and expertise, according to medical experts.
They have also warned that most Nigerians are moving around with chronic heart diseases without knowing this. But they are hopeful that 70 to 80 per cent of heart diseases in the country are preventable.
According to the latest report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) entitled "New network to combat non-communicable diseases," non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes, respiratory diseases and common injuries account for the vast majority of all global deaths.
The WHO report suggests that non-communicable diseases are not yet included as priorities in the global development agenda, because donors and international organisations are yet to pledge support to help developing countries address these leading health problems.
Yet to be published local studies suggest that there is an epidemic of non-communicable diseases in the country largely due to changing diets and lifestyles, and heart attack is the leading cause of sudden death.
The medical experts included Dr. Adeyemi Johnson, an America-trained Consultant Interventional Cardiologist; Dr. Adeyemi Onabowale, Chief Executive Officer of Reddington Hospital; and Dr. Olu Lawani, Chief consultant Cardiologist at Reddington Hospital.
Johnson said: "So far all the heart tests we have been running are abnormal. So it has shown me that it is a myth that we do not have coronary diseases here. It is a big myth. We have it. It is just being under-diagnosed. So a lot of us are walking Talibans ready to blow up the next time.
"Coronary diseases are under-diagnosed in the country. Most of us are walking corpses. Most Nigerians have heart diseases and they do not know it. Most of these cases can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes. Seventy to 80 per cent of heart cases are preventable by dieting, exercising and going for regular medical checks.
"Worthy of note is the ages of people who have these heart problems, they are in their 40s. So imagine the number of the 60-year-olds who have heart problems and do not know. They just say they have chest pain or they are short of breath and they sit down and rest. They do not know there is something going on that should be fixed.
"Most of the time, we hear more about high blood pressure, but coronary heart disease is very common in Nigeria. And it is due to our lifestyle. We eat a lot of fatty foods, and we do not exercise. Because we take okada (motorcycles) everywhere, we do not walk anymore, which is recommended to be good for the heart."
According to Johnson, smoking, being overweight, and having a family history of heart disease are other predisposing factors for heart attack. The cardiologist also warned that any chest pain should be taken seriously, especially the kind that is usually confused with heartburn.
Johnson, who until recently was with Wake Forest Medical Centre, United States (U.S.), said in every medical specialty in the U.S., there was a Nigerian on top of the situation. He said a significant number would have loved to come back but the facilities were not there.
