Hypertension Crisis: The Urgent Case for Sodium Regulation and Healthier Diets – International Edition (English)

By Esi-ife Arogundade

Each year in May, World Hypertension Day reminds us of the critical need for recognizing and managing high blood pressure. As global health efforts progress amid shifting lifestyles, growing stress, and heightened cases of hypertension, this observance holds greater relevance than ever before.

Hypertension, which goes by the term of high blood pressure, is a health issue where the force exerted by circulating blood against artery walls remains persistently high. This occurs because each time your heart beats and pushes out blood, along with having arteries that become constricted, this increases overall arterial pressure.

Hypertension usually doesn’t present noticeable signs, yet over time it can lead to conditions such as coronary artery disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, irregular heartbeat, dementia, heart failure, and various other cardiovascular issues, underscoring the importance of being aware of one’s blood pressure levels and regularly checking them. Due to this lack of obvious indicators and its status as a significant contributor to early deaths—impacting numerous individuals globally, even within Nigeria—it has earned itself the moniker “the silent killer.”

As per the World Health Organization (WHO),
It is believed that about 46% of adults with high blood pressure do not know they have this condition. Among those who are aware, less than half (only 42%) receive diagnosis and treatment, and merely around one in five adults (approximately 21%) manage to keep their hypertension under control. Within Nigeria, the Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) provides these estimations.
At least 30 percent of Nigeria’s adult population suffers from high blood pressure.
, while
Only approximately 10 percent of them are presently undergoing treatment at this time.
For the condition, worse still,
fewer than 2.5 percent of Nigerians with hypertension attain controlled blood pressure or normal levels.
.

A key worldwide objective for combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) set from 2010 onwards has been to decrease hypertension rates by 33% by 2030. To achieve this target, significant efforts must be directed at managing primary contributors to hypertension such as poor dietary habits — notably high levels of sodium (salt), saturated and trans fats — lack of exercise, tobacco use, heavy drinking, and overweight conditions. Among these elements, sodium stands out; essential for neurological functions and maintaining body fluids, excess amounts can elevate the likelihood of developing hypertension along with heart ailments. According to World Health Organization guidelines, adults should consume approximately 2 grams of sodium each day (which equates to about 5 grams of salt). However, current intakes globally surpass this recommendation, including within Nigeria, contributing significantly to avoidable health issues. In fact, estimates suggest that individuals in Nigeria ingest around 5.8 grams of salt every day—a figure well above the WHO-recommended cap of 2 grams of sodium—or fewer than 5 grams of salt daily, roughly equaling only a single teaspoonful.

During the inauguration of the 2024 Salt Awareness Week event, the Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), Ali Pate, emphasized the magnitude of the issue. He mentioned that at least 10 percent of fatalities due to cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria can be linked to high levels of sodium intake.

To tackle this problem, Nigeria introduced the National Sodium Reduction Guideline in April, marking an important step in the government’s initiative to decrease salt intake, foster a more health-conscious food ecosystem, and curb cardiovascular diseases. This guideline was crafted by the Federal Ministry of Health and Welfare Support (FMoHSW), with assistance from organizations such as Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and several crucial domestic and global collaborators.

During the launch, the State Minister for Health and Social Welfare,
Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako appealed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to start implementing restrictions on sodium levels. He also encouraged the food sector to adopt reforms in their products, emphasizing that these adjustments wouldn’t harm profitability or trade. Instead, he stressed they were crucial for decreasing the country’s load of non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure and heart conditions.

Identifying where salt is concealed in our diet is crucial because numerous processed and packaged foods have significant amounts of sodium, typically unnoticed by us. Thus,
The organization Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called upon the Federal Government to hasten the creation of rules designed to enforce specific limits for salt content in processed and packaged food items.

Moreover, CAPPA vigorously advocates for the adoption of front-of-pack labeling on food items as a key approach to tackling high salt consumption. By presenting straightforward dietary data clearly on the package fronts, this system empowers shoppers to opt for more nutritious options easily. Rather than struggling through intricate ingredient listings and nutritional charts, buyers can swiftly evaluate the sodium levels of goods just by looking at them. Such labels function both as educational tools for customers and motivators for producers to lower the salt quantities in their offerings. As public understanding of the adverse health effects linked to elevated sodium intake expands, businesses might be driven to adjust their formulations, thereby contributing to a safer overall food ecosystem.

Moreover, giving up cigarettes and limiting alcohol consumption are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular well-being.

Let’s seize this moment to emphasize our well-being by paying closer attention to how much salt we consume. Through deliberate and educated decisions now, we can strive toward a healthier and more balanced tomorrow not just for us but also for those around us.

Arogundade serves as a Healthy Food Advocate at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).