Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): the number one Silent Killer on Earth

Courtesy - Harry Ndienla Yemti

CVD may exist with no obvious symptoms or pain. In the 20th century, cardiovascular diseases were referred to as the ‘scourge’ of the century. Today (21st century), it is still the first cause of death in the world. Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally and the illness is projected to remain the leading cause of deaths well into the future. According to the United Nations, an estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005 representing 30 percent of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 7.6 million were due to heart attacks and 5.7 million were due to stroke. 80 percent of which the UN estimates occurred in low-and middle-income counties.

Gloomy as these statistics are, heart specialists are optimistic about the fight against heart problems. They say cardiovascular disease may exist with no obvious symptoms or pain.
When symptoms are present, they vary depending on the extent to which the normal flow of blood to the affected organ is interrupted. When the interruption of blood supply to the brain or heart is severe, some or all of the following symptoms can be experience. Heart attack symptoms include central chest pain with an oppressive or squeezing feeling that lasts for few minutes; chest pain that can spread to the neck, shoulders and or arms; and chest discomfort, along
with light-headedness, sweating, faintness, nausea or shortness of breath.

Stroke symptoms include weakness of the arms or legs; a loss of feeling in the face or body; difficulty speaking; sudden loss of vision in one eye; dizziness; and a sudden, intense headache,. Finally, congestive heart failure symptoms include a swelling of the lower extremities, referred to as ‘peripheral edema’, intolerance to exercise followed by shortness of breath; fatigue; and a cough. A person may have cardiovascular disease without experiencing any symptoms, a situation referred to as silent ischemia. Experts caution that people should contact their doctors as soon as possible if they experience any of the above symptoms. Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of cardiovascular disease, but they fail to address the roof of the problem. Cardiovascular disease experts claim can be stopped and even reversed by natural medicine therapies that address the underlying cause of the disease.

Situation in Cameroon
In Cameroon for example, studies have shown that deaths due to cardiovascular and metabolic disease occupy an important place on the mortality lists of hospitals around the country. Curbing the increasing cases of heart disease has been a major preoccupation of health experts in the country.
Professor Wali Muna, President of the Cameroon Society of Cardiology, says heart attack remains the most frequent amongst the CVD as it is estimated that heart attacks represent between two to six percent of illnesses. Amongst the cardiovascular illnesses, high
blood pressure is very frequent in the urban areas as it estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the population suffers from high blood pressure. Statistics also indicate that 40 percent of Cameroonians are at risk of suffering from high blood pressure.

Situation amongst Children
Hear diseases do not just kill the elderly, it is also the leading cause of death for all groups of people. Medical experts note that thousands of infant born each year have congenital cardiovascular defects. Of those who have these defects, 4-10 percent have atrioventricular septal defect. 8-11 percent has coarctation of the aorta. 9-14 percent have tetralogy of Fallout, 10-11 percent have transposition of the great ventricular septal defect. Other children will
develop acquired heart disease in the future, cardiologists say, if appropriate action is not taken
by 2015; an estimated 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease every year, mainly from heart attacks and strokes. Worthy is the fact that the situation is not unique to
Cameroon. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), principally heart disease and stroke, are most nation’s leading killer for both men and women amongst all racial and ethnic groups. In the United States of America, almost one million people die of CVD each year, which adds up to 42 percent of all deaths in the country.