Expert advocates citizen-focused new health system for Nigeria
Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe has called for a new health system that is tailored to the needs of the ordinary man in the street
Why Nigerians defecate publicly
Special report on why improved public awareness is not enough to reduce public defecation in Nigeria
First aid tips to save accident victims
The first few minutes of a medical emergency are always critical, but nearly two thirds of us admit we wouldn’t know what to do
Study identifies risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria
A new study has identified risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria using the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
Doctors call for Lassa fever treatment centers in south east Nigeria
The South East zonal caucus of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has enjoined the Nigerian government to establish health centres and facilities where Lassa fever patients could be treated and managed
Nigerian children at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases - experts
Marriage improves health, lowers risk of heart diseases - new study
Nigeria's premier teaching hospital to perform 11 awake open-heart surgeries
Expert raises concern over cardiovascular disease awareness in Nigeria
Nigeria's First Lady pays for heart surgeries for 800 children
How to prevent heart attack
Threats of heart disease can begin at an early age - NHF
The Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) has enjoined Nigerians to make heart-friendly choices in everything they choose to do and eat. According to the foundation, threats to the heart can occur at an early age. The foundation stated this in Lagos at an exhibition of heart healthy brands
to encourage consumers make hea1thy food choices.
UCH Ibadan debuts open heart surgery in Nigeria
Nigeria's premier teaching hospital, the University College Hospital Ibadan has become the first hospital in Nigeria to perform an open heart surgery. The surgery was performed on a 19-year old boy to correct a leaking heart valve.
According to Prof. Temitope Alonge, the operation lasted more than four hours and was carried out by the hospital in conjunction with a team from Tri-State Cardiovascular Delaware, USA, led by Dr. Kamar Adeleke.
“We are the pioneer teaching hospital in Nigeria, and we should be
taking the lead. We are going to do this and we intend to make it a
continuous exercise. In fact, within the next six months, we intend
carrying out not less than 30 heart related surgeries and at a price
that will be easily affordable to Nigerians," Alonge said.
Expert Suggests How To Prevent Football-Induced Cardiac Emergencies
Understanding the harmful effects of football was the focus of a study carried out in Germany. According to the researchers, they found out that during Germany's matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the number of cardiac emergencies in Munich increased by 2.66 times.
The researchers led by Ute Wilbert-Lampen concluded that serious football matches such as the UEFA Finals can increase an individual's risk of developing heart diseases by more than two times.
“Viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event. In view of this excess risk, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease, preventive measures are urgently needed,” they said.
To tackle the risks, they recommended that serious consideration should be given to beta-blockers, aspirin and other drugs to fans with pre-existing heart problems, they also suggested “behaviour therapy for coping with stress”.
Click here to read the full article
n-3 Fatty Acids Have No Effect On Cardiovascular Diseases, New Study Shows
A major setback has hit cardiovascular disease treatment and management with the discovery that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have no beneficial effect on individuals who have history of myocardial infarction or heart failure.
In the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Risk and Prevention Study Collaborative Group concluded that daily treatment with n-3 fatty acids has no effect on the outcomes of cardiovascular diseases.
"In a large general-practice cohort of patients with multiple
cardiovascular risk factors, daily treatment with n−3 fatty acids did
not reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," the researchers stated.
In the Società Prodotti Antibiotici-funded research conducted in Italy, researchers recruited 12,513 participants out of which 6244 were randomly assigned to n−3 fatty acids and 6269 to placebo.
" With a median of 5 years of follow-up, the primary end point occurred
in 1478 of 12,505 patients included in the analysis (11.8%), of whom 733
of 6239 (11.7%) had received n−3 fatty acids and 745 of 6266 (11.9%)
had received placebo (adjusted hazard ratio with n−3 fatty acids, 0.97;
95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.08; P=0.58). The same null results
were observed for all the secondary end points," they said in the paper.
Prior to this study, n-3 fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids were believed to have health benefits in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In Nigeria, several adverts are aired claiming that products containing n-3 fatty acids are heart-friendly. But with this, it is expected that relevant bodies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Consumer Protection Council (CPC) will ensure that adverts aired in Nigeria reflect this study report that n-3 fatty acids don't have any effect on cardiovascular diseases.
HealthNewsNG has cotacted NAFDAC and CPC for comments.
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