Hypertension in Nigeria: The Silent Killer and How to Address it.

By Morountodun Onibonoje

The first time I heard of the phrase “Hypertension, the silent killer”, it puzzled me a lot. I wondered what exactly was silent about hypertension—the letter ‘t’ or the letter ‘p’. Or was it about how hypertension “silenced” her patients? It did puzzle me, maybe a little too much until a few years back. It left me utterly stunned and surprised to find out that the epithet was in fact largely about how Hypertension claimed the lives of ten million people every year all around the globe. You know, like an unexpected visitor, it creeps up on her patients, killing them faster than they could respond to warning signs for the few ones fortunate enough to experience and spot them. And I guess that explains why Brother Festus, the choir director, who was diagnosed of hypertension in 2022 by the church medical team slumped three Sundays ago during an intense moment of worship. In a formal address to the choir, sister Titi had gotten hysterical, rolling on the floor mouthing the words, “I told Brother Festus about the fried snacks he kept taking and the check ups he hardly went for but he never listened.” “Chim o“, she wailed even louder, snot from her nose decorated her face. Miss Beatrice, the head mistress in my primary school, had convulsed and kicked the bucket only a few minutes after an exciting lecture on the attributes of living things on a cold Tuesday morning in July, 2008. It was later I overheard the teachers reprimand Miss Beatrice for her unwillingness to use the drugs recommended to her in the general hospital they all frequented. They reprimanded her every day for two weeks following her death, even in death.

The gross underestimation of this menace has gone on to birth many Festuses and Beatrices who live very closely around us. Some as our mothers, fathers, drivers, helps, spiritual leaders, friends and neighbors. Even now as a medical student, I interface with at least a patient with a sequelae of hypertension every day during my clinical rotations manifesting as stroke, hypertensive heart disease, renal problems and emergencies, acute myocardial infarction, biventricular heart failure.

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Even after the diagnosis is made, many go on with their normal lives, ingesting LDL cholesterol in different forms, meals and dishes. They would rather take the lift than use the stairs, puff their cigarettes and drink alcohol out of habit. But the greatest culprit of all- skip their drugs or refuse to use them altogether. Sometimes, I get it. I do believe that using a drug every day of your life can be daunting but come on, there are tons of other things we do every day. For the very fortunate ones, a throbbing headache with pain that radiates down their faces, blurred vision and chest pain announce a more disastrous, imminent occurrence. Some others never get that lucky, sigh.

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I opine that the battle against Hypertension starts from a solid knowledge about your genetic predispositions and a detailed family history. They inform you about your own likely risks and what lifestyle modifications to adopt as early as you can. However, friend, weight loss would always be a win for your heart and overall health. You can still go back to the gym. I know it’s been eleven months, but never say never, hey! Soda is the enemy, I promise. Boiled over fried; Healthy oil-less meals over pastries that have been excessively dunked in recycled oil. Toss that cigar in the bin! Water is the best drink. Take a walk— it does wonder for your heart and your head. And even when that awful diagnosis (from a trained doctor in a trained facility) comes in, don’t lose heart, just use your meds—prescribed meds— everyday. Yes, every single day. You can live an optimum life with or without hypertension—you just need to put your heart first. ??