Researchers, in a new study, have warned of a possible spike in cases of heart disease in Lagos State this year and underscore the need for the intervention of the state government to stem the problem quickly in the state.
The study, undertaken by Dr Seun Addie and Dr Lekan Taiwo of the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan, warned that the intervention was crucial to reducing an increase in cases likely to start in 2024 due to recurrent cycles observed from 2010 to 2018.
The research studied the pattern of where heart diseases and associated deaths took place and how they changed over time in Lagos State from 2008 to 2018.
The study population of 6780, made up of 3458 females and 3317 males, were adult patients diagnosed with heart diseases at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. A total of 1528 of them died during the period.
According to the research, factors such as urbanisation, shifts in dietary patterns, tobacco usage, the ageing population, and environmental influences contribute to the gradual, yet undeniable, rise of heart diseases in Africa.
“The study revealed that heart diseases were more prevalent among females in their fifties and sixties, which might be connected with the observed obesity in the women. However, the face of heart disease mortality in Lagos State is a middle-aged male, as most deaths occur in men in their fifties.
“Deaths from heart diseases exhibited significant variations across the 20 LGAs of the state. Specific hotspots for heart diseases were identified in Agege, Mushin, and Alimosho LGAs, with Agege persisting as the primary hotspot throughout the study.
“Furthermore, deaths from heart diseases had distinct hotspots in Agege, Ifako-Ijaye, Alimosho, Oshodi-Isolo, and Mushin LGAs,” the research revealed.
Also, access to health care facilities for residents living in areas far away from the government teaching hospital was linked to high mortality caused by heart diseases.
The researchers called for an increased awareness campaign targeted at women who are more predisposed to heart diseases and routine checks facilitated by the government regularly for middle-aged men who are traders or businessmen to reduce cases of high blood pressure also linked to heart diseases.
They urged strengthening the primary health centres to implement universal health coverage to reduce the burden of heart disease, as underscored by the World Health Organisation.
“Organise free testing outreaches at the existing 26 general hospitals across the state regularly to facilitate early detection of heart diseases, since early detection will help in the better management of the diseases and will go a long way in minimising deaths,” the research emphasised.
