- Kisii residents have been urged to undergo regular medical check-ups for early detection of heart disease.
- Heart specialist Dr Rodelyne Nyakona says several lifestyle and health factors can increase cardiovascular disease risks.
- Residents have also been encouraged to exercise regularly, eat healthily and monitor blood pressure and blood sugar.
As World Heart Day was celebrated yesterday, residents of Kisii County were urged not to view heart disease as a death sentence because the condition is treatable if discovered early.
Speaking during a free medical camp held in Kisii town to mark the day, Kisii-based heart specialist Dr Rodelyne Nyakona called on residents to have regular check-ups with their doctors for prevention and early treatment.
The specialist said that most patients with heart disease attended to in local facilities are students suffering from life anxieties, elderly people, and those battling obesity and other weight-related complications. She explained that many youths are under pressure due to studies, unemployment and family expectations, which takes a toll on their hearts.
She further said that heart attacks are caused by many factors apart from age and obesity. According to her, uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the leading causes, as it strains the heart over time. She added that high cholesterol from eating fatty foods, red meat and deep-fried foods blocks blood vessels and can trigger an attack.
The specialist also cited poorly managed diabetes, smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol as major contributors. She said physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, where people sit for long hours without exercise, weaken the heart muscle.
In addition, she mentioned an unhealthy diet that is low in fruits and vegetables but high in salt and sugar, chronic stress, anxiety and depression, and a family history of heart disease as other factors that residents should be aware of.
Dr Nyakona warned that many young people mistakenly believe heart attacks are a disease for old people only. She said the hospital is now seeing more students and young professionals with heart palpitations due to stress, consumption of energy drinks, smoking shisha and lack of enough sleep.
Residents urged to embrace healthier lifestyles
She advised residents to avoid self-medication, exercise for at least 30 minutes daily, eat traditional vegetables and fruits, reduce salt and cooking oil, stop smoking, and go for blood pressure and blood sugar screening at least twice a year.
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Kisii County Director of Health Dr Richard Onkware said the county government will continue sensitising the public and offering free heart screening services in all sub-county hospitals in an effort to reduce deaths caused by non-communicable diseases.
By Enock Okong’o
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