Heart Disease: Medical Experts Harp On Regular Checkups To Avoid Risk

Medical experts have urged all Nigerians especially from age 50 and below to ensure they take the stress test exercise in order to ascertain any likelihood of the Coronary Artery Disease or Ischemic Heart Disease commonly known as heart attack.

According to the experts, the test will reveal if blood supply to the heart is enough. The test will also show the changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG) of the heart.

The exercise stress test, as opined by the medical experts, will determine the amount of stress the heart can manage as well as the amount of oxygen the heart muscle can generate.

Key Symptoms

They described Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) as an epidemic that is capable of shortening a life span if proper attention and adequate awareness was not given to it.

The experts further disclosed that apart from the risk factor like smoking, poor diet, family history, excessive alcohol, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol as root cause of the disease, constant chest pain, irregular heartbeat, emotional stress and shortness of breath are other key symptoms of ischemic heart disease.

According to the World Health Organization, CAD or Ischemic Heart Disease (ISH) commonly referred to as heart attack was the most common cause of death globally in 2013, resulting in 8.14 million deaths and 16.8 per cent up from 5.74 million deaths and 12 per cent in the early 90s.

Medical experts say some causes of the cardiovascular disease occur due to blockage of the blood vessel to the heart which often times cause chest pain and other complications in the heart resulting to a heart attack.

It was further disclosed that CAD is rampant in this part of the world because people over stress themselves and fail to exercise their body, rest or go for regular medical checkup.

Prevent The Disease

While advising people to take precautions and proper medical advice on this disease, the medical experts said exercise stress test is a key test that should be done in order to ascertain the likelihood of having a coronary artery disease.

To prevent the disease, they opined that awareness should increase and medical personnel should be more proactive with their patients while also urging that people should ensure they eat healthy and proper diet, exercise regularly, maintain healthy weight, stop smoking, treat hypertension and decrease cholesterol level.

In case of severe complications, cardiovascular surgery or open heart surgery is the way out, the experts stressed.

With the rate at which the coronary artery disease kills people in recent times especially prominent Nigerians like the two former super eagles coaches and many more, it is advisable to take precautions.

it is also necessary to take time out and go for medical checkups especially the exercise stress test to ascertain any likelihood of the coronary artery disease and also stay away from risk factors that might cause the disease.