Free heart lecture series for busy people

According to data provided by the Department of Health, 25 percent of Filipino adults, or about 14 million of the current adult population, have high blood pressure. “Unfortunately, many who are diagnosed often do not have access to treatment and their conditions are not adequately controlled,” said Bellosillo. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to the hardening and thickening of the arteries, which increase one’s chance to suffer from heart attack, stroke or other complications; aneurysm; thickening of heart muscles, which can lead to heart failure; weakening and narrowing of blood vessels in the kidneys, which can prevent these organs from functioning normally. High blood pressure, if left untreated, could also cause the thickening, narrowing or tearing of the blood vessels in the eyes, which can result in vision loss; or clustering of disorders of the body’s metabolism—including increased waist circumference, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein, or “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure and high insulin levels. The most recent Philippine health statistics data show that in 2009, about 167,000 Filipinos died from heart disease and stroke. Half of these tragic deaths are likely related to high blood pressure. An analysis done by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies further revealed that 34 percent of all cardiovascular deaths are happening prematurely or at age below 60 years, ending the life of many Filipinos during their supposedly most productive years.