Heart Failure Affects More than 64 million People Worldwide – Expert
Prof Philip Kolo, of the Department of Medicine of the University of Ilorin on Friday postulated that Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) affects more than 64 million people world-wide.
Kolo made the assertion in his paper presentation at the 236th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin entitled: “Power and The Failed Pump: Travails and Remedies for Broken Hearts”.
He observed that the incidence of CHF is increasing because of ageing population and high rate of aged-related cardiac disease.
“Whereas, CHF is a disease of old people affecting people in the seventh decade of life in high-income countries, it is a disease of the young and middle aged in sub-Saharan Africa, in which those between third and fifth decades of life are affected,” he said.
The don who teaches in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences of the University stated that this has serious economic implications because it is at these ages that they are active to earn incomes for themselves and families.
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He explained that Heart disease are progressive in nature (Cardiovascular continuum) which starts with the presence of a risk factor that is highly associated with Heart failure causing alterations in the size and shape of the heart.
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The expert listed the risk factors to include systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarettes smoking, elevated cholesterol and obesity among others.
Kolo submitted that the costs of managing heart failure globally is enourmous due to the cost of medications, transportation, recurrent hospitalisation’s and loss of manpower time.
He called for new policies needed to reduce out-of-pocket expenses by CHF patients and multidisciplinary care approach to reduce re-hospitalisation where there is synergy between managing team and family physicians that take care of them in the community.
He also tasks the Federal Government to declare hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus and other non communicable diseases as public health emergencies with efforts directed at community education on diet and lifestyle choices.
Kolo warned that hypertension and mild elevation in blood pressure should not be ignored but treated properly after individuals risks are fully assessed.
He therefore advocated the establishment of Heart Institute in the six geopolitical zones in the country, which will make open heart surgery available in Nigeria.
