High Blood Pressure in Lagos?
The Silent Killer: Check Yours Today.

Hypertension in Nigerian Men: The Scale of the Problem

Nigeria has one of the highest rates of uncontrolled hypertension in the world. Studies in Lagos show that approximately 35% of adult men have hypertension, and of those, roughly 60% are unaware of their diagnosis. Of those diagnosed, only about 30% are on treatment, and of those on treatment, only about 30% are adequately controlled.

This translates into an enormous burden of preventable stroke (Nigeria has very high stroke rates), heart attack, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. These are not inevitable. They are the consequence of hypertension that was either undiscovered or inadequately treated.

Hypertension and erectile dysfunction

Uncontrolled hypertension is one of the leading causes of erectile dysfunction in Nigerian men, through vascular damage and through the blood pressure medications used to treat it (particularly older thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers). At Mascot Healthcare, we are aware of this and select antihypertensives with the least sexual side effect profile (ACE inhibitors and ARBs are generally neutral or beneficial for sexual function).

When to measure blood pressure

Every adult man should have his blood pressure measured at least once a year. Men with hypertension should measure at every clinic visit. High-risk groups (obese, family history, Nigerian ethnicity, over 40) should be measured every 6 months.