Today is World Heart Day.
A day set aside to increase awareness about cardiovascular diseases and how to control them to negate their global impact with this year’s theme as ‘Use heart for every heart’.
A cardiologist, Dr. Gold Ogunloye who wants Nigerians to make healthy choices in diet and general wellbeing, spoke with a Radio Bayelsa staff reporter, Mrs. Grace Orumieyefa, attributed the main causes of cardiovascular disease to lack of exercise, smoking, and poor dieting.
While expressing worry over people’s attitude toward medical checks, Dr. Ogunloye said hypertensive heart diseases occur as a result of poorly regulated blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of strokes, with an estimate of over sixteen million yearly deaths globally.
The medical practitioner who appealed to people to go for regular checkup, reduce salt intake, drink more water, avoid oily foods, reduce red meat, watch weight and follow correct medications advised citizens to always ensure they know their blood pressure and monitor it to prevent sudden deaths.
He called on government at all levels to create more awareness on heart issues, regular jingles, free or heavily subsidized cardiac screening and regular cardiac care training among doctors and nurses to update skill and knowledge.
Some residents Mrs. Ebimoboere Albert and Mr. Kenoye Oyekutor, said although they have been going for other medical checkups, they have not thought of checking their heart but promised to visit the hospital for screening.

They also called on stakeholders in the health profession to organize sensitization programmes that will educate people about different kinds of ailments and their symptoms, stressing that it would promote healthy living.