THE Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has said that persons of African and Asian ancestry are at higher risk of developing Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs).
CARPHA, in its message on World Heart Day, said persons living in CARHPA member states are at a very high risk of becoming affected by cardiovascular diseases.

CVDs are the number one cause of death and illness among the population in Caribbean countries.  CVDs are disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions.

Some people are born with conditions that predispose them to heart disease and stroke.  A pre-existing heart condition and other physiological factors, including diabetes, hypertension or high blood cholesterol also increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.  However, most people who develop cardiovascular diseases do so because of a combination of risk factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, overweight and obesity, raised or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking of tobacco and excessive use of alcohol.

The more risk factors you expose yourself to, the higher your chance of developing CVDs. Studies show that cardiovascular disease risk can be reduced through consumption of healthy foods including adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, reducing body weight to normal levels, increasing physical activity, reducing blood pressure to normal levels, lowering cholesterol, stop smoking and avoiding harmful use of alcohol.

Although some risk factors for CVDs, such as age or family history, cannot be controlled, Dr. Glennis Andall-Brereton, Senior Technical Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at CARPHA urged persons to: “Take responsibility for your health by making changes to reduce risk factors.  Reducing risk factors improves your chances of leading a heart-healthy life.”

CARPHA is encouraging persons to take action and lower their chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

The agency said it will continue to support its member states in moving towards improving population health by reducing risk factors; to achieve reductions in premature deaths from cardiovascular disease; and other NCDs in the population.

World Heart Day, observed annually on 29th September, aims to inform people about cardiovascular diseases, and promote preventative measures to reduce the risk of these diseases.