High consumption of salt exposes people to hypertension – Physician Assistant

Mr. Rocky Tettedzie, a Physician Assistant at the Pleasant Medical Centre, has reiterated the need to lower salt consumption as it poses a risk factor for the contraction of hypertension. Mr. Tettedzie said hypertension was a major cause of premature death worldwide, with more than 600,000 people being diagnosed with hypertension in Ghana annually and about 46 per cent of adults living with hypertension unaware of their status. He said there was already a lot of salt in many food items in the form of sodium, yet many still added high quantities of salt to their food, an act that increased one's vulnerability to hypertension, therefore the need to eat salt in moderation. Speaking at a preventive healthcare talk as part of the Ghana Journalists Association's (GJA) 75th anniversary health screening in Tema, she stated that some preventive measures for hypertension included physical activities, avoiding alcohol intake, and smoking. He further stated that the occurrence of hypertension increased with age and o ccurred more in males than females, with some risk factors being family history, smoking, obesity, and the intake of fatty foods. 'Irregular heartbeat, headache, chest pain, and vision changes are some signs of hypertension,' he added. The physician assistant encouraged people to engage in physical activities for at least 30 minutes three times a week and seek early medical treatment when diagnosed with hypertension. Mr. Tettedzie said hypertension affects any part of the body, but before the damage becomes visible, it has become complicated. He admonished against the high intake of red meat when suffering from hypertension but rather consumed more fish dishes. He recommended that alcohol lovers be careful about their intake, as it serves as a risk factor not only for hypertension but also for non-communicable diseases. Source: Ghana News Agency