diabetes
Additional Information
People with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes are more likely to have high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. They are also likely to be overweight or obese. All of these factors increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other serious health complications.
If you have prediabetes or diabetes, it's crucial to monitor blood cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight.
Maybe you aren't experiencing any symptoms. Why is monitoring these numbers still important? Keep in mind that there are no clear symptoms for people with prediabetes, and diabetes may be severe before there are any warning signs. Likewise, people have no way of knowing they have high cholesterol or high blood pressure without being tested.
Blood pressure
Additional Information
1 in 2 strokes and heart attacks are the result of high blood pressure.
1 in 3 adults in the UK have high blood pressure.
1 in 2 adults with high blood pressure don’t know they have it or aren’t receiving treatment.
6 million people in the UK alone have high blood pressure and don’t know it.
Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, the first sign of it could be a heart attack or stroke. It can cause kidney disease, dementia and other illnesses too. But these tragedies can be prevented with medications and lifestyle changes.
Our Know Your Numbers! campaign reaches those who have high blood pressure and don’t know it. It gives them the chance to get the treatment and support they need to lower their blood pressure and lead a long and healthy life.
Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Nigeria in 1995 and 2020: A systematic analysis of current evidence
Davies Adeloye , et al12
Abstract
Improved understanding of the current burden of hypertension, including awareness, treatment, and control, is needed to guide relevant preventative measures in Nigeria.
Estimated crude prevalence of pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89 mmHg) in Nigeria was 30.9%, and the crude prevalence of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) was 30.6% .
When adjusted for age, study period, and sample, absolute cases of hypertension increased by 540% among individuals aged ≥20 years from approximately 4.3 million individuals in 1995 to 27.5 million individuals with hypertension in 2020 (age-adjusted prevalence 32.5%).
Our study suggests that hypertension prevalence has substantially increased in Nigeria over the last two decades. Although more persons are aware of their hypertension status, clinical treatment and control rates, however, remain low. These estimates are relevant for clinical care, population, and policy response in Nigeria and across Africa.
Keywords: Nigeria; clinical management; high blood pressure; hypertension; prevalence.
© 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Body Mass Index - bmi
Additional Information
The benefits of maintaining a healthy weight go far beyond improved energy and smaller clothing sizes. By losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, you are also likely to enjoy these quality-of-life factors too.
- Fewer joint and muscle pains
- More energy and greater ability to join in desired activities
- Better regulation of bodily fluids and blood pressure
- Reduced burden on your heart and circulatory system
- Better sleep patterns
- Reductions in blood triglycerides, blood glucose, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Reduced risk for heart disease and certain cancers
BMI is an indicator of the amount of body fat for most people. It is used as a screening tool to identify whether an adult is at a healthy weight. Find your BMI and what it means with our handy BMI Calculator.
A separate BMI Percentile Calculator should be used for children and teens that takes a child’s age and gender into consideration.
- BMI stands for Body Mass Index
This is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. A BMI between 18.5 and 25 kg/m² indicates a normal weight. A BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m² is considered underweight. A BMI between 25 kg/m² and 29.9 kg/m² is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher is considered obese.
- Excess weight increases the heart's work.
It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can make diabetes more likely to develop, too. Lifestyle changes that help you maintain a 3-5% weight loss are likely to result in clinically meaningful improvements in blood glucose, triglycerides, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Greater weight loss can even help reduce BP and improve blood cholesterol.
- To calculate your BMI:
- Type your height and weight into the online BMI calculator from NIH.
Your body is made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrate and various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat — especially if a lot of it is at your waist — you're at higher risk for such health problems as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. That increases your risk for heart diseases and stroke.
Obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for heart disease. If you're overweight or obese, you can reduce your risk for heart disease by successfully losing weight and keeping it off.
Waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are indirect ways to assess your body composition. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is another index of body fat distribution. However, WHR is less accurate than BMI or waist circumference and is no longer recommended.
Cholesterol level
Understanding your cholesterol levels
Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is a great way to keep your heart healthy. It can lower your chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
But first, you have to know your cholesterol numbers.
The American Heart Association recommends
All adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol (and other traditional risk factors) checked every four to six years. If certain factors put you at high risk, or if you already have heart disease, your doctor may ask you to check it more often. Work with your doctor to determine your risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke and create a plan to reduce your risk.
Stroke Below Age 45
Blood Disorder
Some people develop or inherit conditions that cause blood to clot (coagulate) more easily, which can increase the risk of an ischemic stroke.
Coagulation problems can be inherited, and some are detectable with a blood test.
Heart Conditions
Some people are born with or develop heart conditions that can cause or allow blood clots in the heart to travel to the brain.
A small percentage of strokes in young adults are caused by a very common condition called patent foramen ovale. About 25 percent of people have PFO, which develops when a hole between the heart's chambers doesn’t close during the first few months after birth. Doctors can diagnose PFO with a simple echocardiogram. However, because the vast majority of people with PFO never have a problem, doctors seldom treat it unless you have symptoms.
Migraine
Migraine is a neurological disorder most known for the headaches it causes. Thought to be inherited, migraine can (rarely) cause ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Migraine increases stroke risk in young people. The risk increases as people age because the more migraine attacks a person has, the higher the risk of stroke.
Smoking greatly increases stroke risk in people with migraine.
Artery Tears
Another underappreciated cause of stroke in the young is dissection (tearing) of neck blood vessels. This can happen spontaneously or be related to trauma, even minor trauma. Diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion especially if there is head or neck pain or a history of trauma.
The slight tears can result in blood clots forming and either blocking the artery or breaking off and traveling to the brain. These are the rare strokes that most commonly affect young, healthy people — especially athletes.
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