Heart Failure: Expert advocates early intervention, lifestyle changes
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Prof Victor Okon Ansa, the 125th inaugural lecturer of the University of Calabar, has advocated early intervention, and lifestyle changes, among others, as solutions for heart failure.
In addition, the lecturer also urged the government to make funding available for research.
Prof. Victor Ansa stated this at the university’s inaugural lecture which had as topic: “In Matters of the Heart, All Hearts Matter “Cardiac Dropsy” (Heart Failure) On the Prowl: A Wake-Up Call To Keep The Heart Healthy”.
Prof. Ansa said prevention of heart failure can be achieved by early control of the modifiable traditional risk factors like smoking, hypertension, taking excessive amounts of alcohol and obesity.
He added that some of the cardiovascular risk factors such as age, race and gender of individuals which are not modifiable cannot be directly altered to influence morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases.
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Prevention, he said is key as heart failure affects people of all ages, genders, socioeconomic status, races and even pregnant women.
He also described heart failure as deadly as cancer stressing that treatment of heart failure is not always effective in prolonging life and hence should be prioritized.
The professor of medicine and consultant cardiologist highlighted conditions that predispose people to heart failure to include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, and high cholesterol levels and this can be controlled by reduction of consumption of salt, refined sugar and saturated fat.
He called on the government to make funding research in heart failure a priority and also called for the establishment of Specialized Cardiac Centers.
Prof Florence Obi, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, in her remarks, praised the inaugural lecturer, Prof Victor Ansa’s contributions to the cardiology field and commended his advocacy for heart health awareness.
