St. Lucia joined the rest of the world on May 17 in observance of World Hypertension Day. The issues related to the disease have been well documented amongst citizens. Known simply by many locals as “pressure”, the non-communicable disease is diagnosed in patients when blood pressure levels measure consistently above normal.
This year, the Ministry of Health under the supervision of Minster Moses Jn Baptiste, has adopted the global theme “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.” According to Minister Jn Baptiste, the theme speaks to the importance of awareness and without it, individuals will struggle to control their pressure.
“In St. Lucia, based on our most recent survey findings, the number of people with hypertension is rising” he said. “Persons are encouraged to know their blood pressure readings. Additionally, they are guided to ensure that these readings are accurate. Accurate readings can be achieved through proper measurement”
The Minister added that it is the goal of his ministry to train all staff to utilize equipment appropriately to prevent misdiagnosis. Further, he admonished St. Lucians to take advantage of the screenings made available to the public in order to limit the changes of falling prey to the silent killer.
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