COVID-19 IN NIGERIA: WE SAY NO TO CHINA INTERVENTION

Can the world ever trust China again? Would Nigeria romance with the prime suspect of the current global crisis (COVID-19)? How can we? In 2012 China handed over a fully funded and built headquarters building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the African Union (AU). A great gesture of friendship and solidarity, perhaps. But not long after, it was alleged to have been bugged, leaking vital, confidential information of the Union to China in faraway Shanghai! True or false, the Union had to change its computer servers to check the alleged mischief. But issues of health are different. Misfiring means losing a life, or even lives. On a national scale, that can amount to thousands. Painful loss. Avoidable loss. The authorities must tread with caution here. Face masks, test kits, ventilators, vaccine and doctors - all from or of China. Hmmmm, caution we must exercise. Until now we have been using our indigenous doctors, and they have been doing well. WHY CHANGE THE WINNING TEAM? Please let us DISCARD this idea of Chinese intervention. WE DON'T NEED IT. Let us stay safe Stay indigenous. Stay Nigerian We shall overcome

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

SMOKING AND HEART DISEASE AND STROKE


https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/heart-disease-stroke.html  Accessed June 27, 2017
What Is Heart Disease and Stroke?
Heart disease and stroke are cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases (CVDs).1
Heart disease includes several types of heart conditions. The most common type in the United States is coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease), which is narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart.2,3 This can cause:
  • Chest pain2
  • Heart attack (when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked and a section of the heart muscle is damaged or dies)2,4
  • Heart failure (when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs)2,5
  • Arrhythmia (when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly)2,6
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing brain tissue to die.7 Stroke can cause disability (such as paralysis, muscle weakness, trouble speaking, memory loss)8 or death.

 How Are Smoking Related to Heart Disease and Stroke?
Smoking is a major cause of CVD and causes one of every three deaths from CVD.9 Smoking can:10
  • Raise triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood)
  • Lower "good" cholesterol (HDL)
  • Make blood sticky and more likely to clot, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain
  • Damage cells that line the blood vessels
  • Increase the build-up of plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances) in blood vessels
  • Cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels
 How Is Breathing Second-hand Smoke Related to Heart Disease and Stroke?
Breathing second-hand smoke also harms your health. Second-hand smoke is the smoke from burning tobacco products.9,11,12  Second-hand smoke also is smoke breathed out by a smoker.11,12
Breathing second-hand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.9,11,13 Know the facts:9
  • Second-hand smoke causes nearly 34,000 early deaths from coronary heart disease each year in the United States among non-smokers.
  • Non-smokers who breathe second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30%. Second-hand smoke increases the risk for stroke by 20−30%.
  • Each year, second-hand smoke exposure causes more than 8,000 deaths from stroke.
  • Breathing second-hand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase your risk of having a heart attack.
  • Even briefly breathing second-hand smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause your blood to become stickier. These changes can cause a deadly heart attack.
How Can Heart Disease and Stroke Be Prevented?
Heart disease and stroke are major causes of death and disability in the United States. Many people are at high risk for these diseases and don't know it. The good news is that many risk factors for heart disease and stroke can be prevented or controlled.
The federal government’s Million Hearts® initiative aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. It’s important to know your risk for heart disease and stroke and to take action to reduce that risk. A good place to start is with the ABCS of heart health:14
  • Aspirin: Aspirin may help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. But do not take aspirin if you think you are having a stroke. It can make some types of stroke worse. Before taking aspirin, talk to your doctor about whether aspirin is right for you.
  • Blood pressure: Control your blood pressure.
  • Cholesterol: Manage your cholesterol.
  • Smoking: Quit smoking, or don’t start.
In addition to your ABCS, several lifestyle choices can help protect your heart and brain health. These include the following:13,14
  • Avoid breathing second-hand smoke.
  • Eat low-fat, low-salt foods most of the time and fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Limit alcohol use.
  • Get other health conditions (such as diabetes) under control.
References
  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. The Health Consequences of Smoking: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004 [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) [last updated 2015 Aug 10; accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  3. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Coronary Heart Disease [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Attack [last updated 2015 Aug 5; accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Failure Fact Sheet [last updated 2013 Dec 3; accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  6. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What is an Arrhythmia? [last updated 2011 July 1; accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke [last updated 2015 Nov 3; accessed 2015 Nov 9.]
  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Types of Stroke [last updated 2013 Dec 6; accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  10. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  11. Institute of Medicine. Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence[PDF - 707KB]. Washington: National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, 2009 [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
  12. National Toxicology Program. Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition. Research Triangle Park (NC): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 2016 [accessed 2017 Feb 22].
  13. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Million Hearts® [accessed 2015 Nov 9].
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