WESTERN BUREAU:

AS NON-COMMUNICABLE illnesses become a growing concern among Jamaicans, research has shown that hypertension and diabetes mellitus account for 70 per cent of chronic kidney disease here, Professor of Medicine and Nephrology, Dr Everard Barton, has revealed.

Addressing delegates at the First International Conference on Nephrology and Hypertension at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay on Thursday, Dr Barton's eye-opening disclosure complemented a 2006 World Health Organisation report which shows that 450,000 of Jamaicans within the age group 15-74, or a quarter of that group, were hypertensive.

Some 150,000 Jamaicans in the same age group are suffering from diabetes mellitus.

Statistics

The situation becomes even more frightening with statistics confirming that chronic kidney disease in six other English-speaking Caribbean countries is a result of the same two diseases.

The implications of this increasing burden on health care, Barton believes, must be tapped immediately, with the same thrust that was used in educating the population on HIV/AIDS - through blitzes at schools, community centres, in the media, and general public awareness that would encourage people to do their medical checks annually.

"No matter how many dialysis units are built in the country, unless Jamaicans change their behavioural pattern, adopt preventative measures and shift their lifestyle, there will be no arrest of chronic kidney disease,"Barton declared.

He added: "Just being fat will predispose people to a particular type of kidney disease. The main cause is eating habits, and fast foods are playing a pivotal role in our diets and we have become a society where we don't like to walk anymore."

The medical expert said he was, however, encouraged by the tremendous work that was being done with diabetes, noting that "the entire week is dedicated to diabetes and we have been having symposia in rural areas and discussions with primary healthcare workers".

Targeting the rural areas is a deliberate effort and this was outlined in a presentation by Dr Rainford Wilks, who showed geographical data revealing that hypertension was more prevalent in rural dwellers.

Some 29 per cent of hypertensive cases are seen in rural areas versus 23 per cent in the urban areas. The difference in the prevalence of diabetics mellitus, though in the same direction, was much less, 8.3 per cent in rural areas versus 7.6 per cent in urban communities.

- J. S

Pressing facts