Doctors Raise The Alarm Over Rising Hypertension Cases Among Young Nigerians

Doctors have raised the alarm over increasing cases of hypertension among young Nigerians.

They warned that changing lifestyles, unhealthy diets, obesity, physical inactivity and economic pressures are exposing more young people to high blood pressure.

A former chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna State chapter, Dr Sheyin David Madaki, raised the concern in an interview with LEADERSHIP, citing the case of a 22-year-old patient who presented to a clinic with a blood pressure reading above 170, which remained high on repeated measurements.

Madaki said hypertension, previously regarded largely as a condition affecting middle-aged and elderly people, was increasingly being diagnosed among younger people, attributing the trend to excessive consumption of salt, fast foods, processed meals, carbonated and energy drinks, as well as declining consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Beyond unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, the former NMA chairman identified economic hardship, unemployment, inadequate salaries, financial insecurity and the rising cost of living as factors contributing to psychological stress among young Nigerians.

Madaki also identified inadequate sleep as a significant risk factor, noting that adults were generally advised to sleep between seven and nine hours daily.

“Somebody will come and say, ‘I’m young. Why should I be having high blood pressure?’ But times have changed. Environments have changed. Lifestyle has changed,” he said.

Madaki warned that undetected and uncontrolled hypertension could lead to serious complications, including stroke, heart failure, kidney damage, visual impairment and sudden death.

He explained that prolonged high blood pressure forced the heart to work harder and could gradually damage the kidneys, with some patients only discovering they had the condition after developing symptoms of chronic kidney disease.

On treatment, Madaki cautioned patients against stopping prescribed hypertension medication simply because their blood pressure readings had returned to normal.

Madaki stressed that medication alone was not sufficient to manage the condition, urging patients to reduce salt consumption, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, avoid excessive alcohol consumption and stop smoking.

Also, a doctor at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, who pleaded anonymity, also expressed concern over the rising cases of hypertension among young people, advising those experiencing difficulty sleeping to practise good sleep hygiene by reducing screen time, switching off unnecessary phone notifications and creating an environment conducive to rest.

For 26-year-old Emmanuel, however, living with hypertension has become a difficult experience, with the physical discomfort, emotional strain and financial demands of managing the condition taking their toll.

Emmanuel told LEADERSHIP that managing his blood pressure was not easy, explaining that he sometimes became emotional when his blood pressure remained high and refused to come down.