MARRELI Fourie and Theresia Malan of the multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer recently visited the Parliament building to offer free blood-pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar tests.
A total of 140 people participated in the tests and it was found that 47 of them had high blood pressure. Out of the 45 people tested for high cholesterol, 17 were found to have a cholesterol problem.Hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and cholesterol go hand in hand and are called the ‘silent killers’ because they don’t have easily recognised symptoms.Globally and also in Namibia these illnesses are on the rise and more and more people are at risk.People in high-risk groups should get themselves tested every six months by their doctors or pharmacists so that they can get treatment before it is too late.Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that the body needs to function normally.Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.The body uses cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs.If a person has too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary (heart) arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause heart disease, strokes and blood clots.There are two types of cholesterol in the blood – LDL (low-density lipoprotein or ‘bad cholesterol’) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein or ‘good cholesterol’).A change in diet and regular exercise can lower the LDL cholesterol in the blood.High cholesterol can also lead to transient ischaemic attacks.This happens when a very small blood clot is released into the bloodstream, which causes a person to faint without any warning.Typically such a person is fine again after such an episode.Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure and is the leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and early death.It is a disease of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart, blood vessels and the blood.Often, people with hypertension have no symptoms and are diagnosed by chance during a routine medical check-up.This is why is condition is so dangerous and referred to as a silent killer.In many cases, the condition gradually builds up over several years before being diagnosed.Some sufferers have a serious event like a heart attack without any warning.Hypertension, like high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus, is a chronic disease and any treatment, be it drug therapy or lifestyle modifications, has to be maintained for life.Diabetes or ‘sugar disease’ is a condition in which the blood glucose, or sugar, levels in the blood are too high.Glucose comes from the foods a person eats.Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into the cells to give them energy.With Type 1 diabetes, the body does not make any insulin.With Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, the body does not make or use insulin well.Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in the blood.Over time, having too much glucose in the blood can damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to amputate a limb.Losing weight, doing more exercise, adjusting your diet, limiting your intake of alcohol and giving up smoking are good ways of reducing your risk of falling victim to these silent killers.People who are over the age of 55, who smoke, have a family history of any one of the three diseases, who had a previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack or have Type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease and should consult their doctor.Out of the 45 people tested for high cholesterol, 17 were found to have a cholesterol problem.Hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and cholesterol go hand in hand and are called the ‘silent killers’ because they don’t have easily recognised symptoms.Globally and also in Namibia these illnesses are on the rise and more and more people are at risk.People in high-risk groups should get themselves tested every six months by their doctors or pharmacists so that they can get treatment before it is too late.Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that the body needs to function normally.Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.The body uses cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs.If a person has too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary (heart) arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause heart disease, strokes and blood clots.There are two types of cholesterol in the blood – LDL (low-density lipoprotein or ‘bad cholesterol’) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein or ‘good cholesterol’).A change in diet and regular exercise can lower the LDL cholesterol in the blood.High cholesterol can also lead to transient ischaemic attacks.This happens when a very small blood clot is released into the bloodstream, which causes a person to faint without any warning.Typically such a person is fine again after such an episode.Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure and is the leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and early death.It is a disease of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart, blood vessels and the blood.Often, people with hypertension have no symptoms and are diagnosed by chance during a routine medical check-up.This is why is condition is so dangerous and referred to as a silent killer.In many cases, the condition gradually builds up over several years before being diagnosed.Some sufferers have a serious event like a heart attack without any warning.Hypertension, like high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus, is a chronic disease and any treatment, be it drug therapy or lifestyle modifications, has to be maintained for life.Diabetes or ‘sugar disease’ is a condition in which the blood glucose, or sugar, levels in the blood are too high.Glucose comes from the foods a person eats.Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into the cells to give them energy.With Type 1 diabetes, the body does not make any insulin.With Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, the body does not make or use insulin well.Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in the blood.Over time, having too much glucose in the blood can damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to amputate a limb.Losing weight, doing more exercise, adjusting your diet, limiting your intake of alcohol and giving up smoking are good ways of reducing your risk of falling victim to these silent killers.People who are over the age of 55, who smoke, have a family history of any one of the three diseases, who had a previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack or have Type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease and should consult their doctor.
