Doctor: Ignorance of medical advice kills many

 By PISAI GUMAR

FAILURE to adhere to medical advice about lifestyle diseases is a major cause of deaths among young people, it was revealed during a World Health Day commemoration event in Lae, Morobe, yesterday.

The event at the Angau Memorial Hospital focused on hypertension, one of the lifestyle diseases affecting an increasing number of people in PNG.

The public was invited to attend the event but there were hardly any people besides hospital executives and staff.

Angau CEO Dr Polapoi Chalau told those who gathered that hypertension was preventable and treatable but highly-educated citizens were dying from strokes and heart attacks because of ignorance to adhere to medical advice.

He said such advice included avoiding unhealthy foods and having regular exercises like walking.

“One in three adults worldwide has hypertension. The proportion increases with age from one in 10 people between 20s and 30s to five in 10 people in their 50s,” he said.

Chalau said an internal survey at Angau hospital revealed that 50% of the staff had high blood pressure.

He added that due to lack of health facilities, people needed to be responsible and live healthy lifestyles.

Angau’s deputy chief physician Dr Bernard Belari said:

“Hypertension increases the chances for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failures; uncontrolled hypertension can cause blindness, irregular heart beat and heart failures.”

He said the risk of developing the complications was higher in the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes.

“The risk of developing hypertension can be reduced by minimal salt intake, balanced diet, avoid harmful use of alcohol, regular physical activity, maintaining healthy body weight and avoid tobacco use,” Belari said.

Other guests at the event included Angau board chairman Benson Nablu and Morobe provincial health adviser Micah Yawing.