Some of the Eldoret residents are taken through free medical checkup during the marking of world heart day in Eldoret on September 29, 2017. [Photo: Joe Khisa]
Concerns have been raised over the high number of deaths caused by heart-related diseases in the North Rift region.
According to statistics by Dr Constantine Okwanalo, a Cardiologist at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, in Eldoret, heart-related diseases are the cause of over 45 percent deaths in the region.
Speaking at the Nandi gardens in Eldoret town during the marking of World Heart Day, Friday, Dr Okwanalo challenged locals to always go for medical checkups to ensure any signs of heart-related diseases are treated at an early stage.
He also warned against engaging in atrocious lifestyles like cigarette smoking and use of too much salt which he says causes heart-related diseases like diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure among others.
“People need to make it a routine to do exercises and eat balanced diet food if need be to seek advice from a nutritionist as the kinds of food we need contribute a lot to heart-related diseases,” noted Dr Okwanalo.
During the marking of the World Heart Day, hundreds of the Eldoret residents also turned up for free medical checkup and nutritional advice that were being offered by experts from the MTRH.
Heart diseases have been ranked as the world’s leading cause of death, killing 17.1 million people every year – that’s more than victims of cancer, HIV and AIDS and malaria.