Waist-Hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7 for women and 0.

9 for men has been shown to correlate strongly with general good health. You are at a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes if the ratio is high.

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

MESAU-MEPI CVD LINKED PROJECT AND RESEARCH & WRITERS CLUB

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
WHR = WC/HC If most of your fat is in your waist rather than your hips then; Closely follow the healthy living tips* Exercise regularly : Walk, Cycling, Jogging, swimming, Aerobics etc Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Currently, 80% of deaths and 87% of disability due to CVD occur in developing countries. Cardiovascular disease is already placing a heavy burden on the health services of developing countries, which are barely coping with communicable diseases.

Contacts
Dr. James Kayima - 0772487422 Dr. Charles Mondo - 0774460496 Dr. Juergen Freers - 0712840697

For more information contact;

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, MULAGO HOSPITAL MEPI CVD LINKED PROJECT
P .O. Box 7072 Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256 414 541188 E-mail: intmed@med.mak.ac.ug Fax: +256 414 532204

A large proportion of CVDs can be prevented Examples of CVDs include; hypertension, heart failure, Heart attack, peripheral vascular disease and Stroke.

IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS TO NOTE

Palpitation Difficulty in breathing

Getting tired easily Body swelling: legs, abdomen or face Chest pain Inability to use part of the body Reduced urine volume Protein in urine or frothy urine

4. Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as the heart pumps it around the body.

How is BP measured?

YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS TO ABLE TO PREVENT OR CONTROL CVDs

1. Who is more at risk for CVD?
Smoker (active or passive) Hypertensive Diabetic Inactivity Being overweight High HDL Cholesterol (badcholestrol) Low HDL Cholesterol (goodcholesterol) Remember: It is not too late to live healthy

2. Healthy Living tips*

Stop smoking Eat less fat Eat healthy foods such as; more fruit, vegetables, cereals and less salt. Exercise daily: a 30 minute walk is good for you if you can. Check your weight regularly Have your blood pressure checked regularly If you have any CVD, ensure you see a doctor regularly and adhere to your medication The entire instrument is called a sphygmomanometer. Your upper arm is wrapped by an inflatable pressure bag. The pressure is recorded as two numbers, e.g 130/70. The upper number is called systolic blood pressure. The lower number is the diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure does not stay the same all the time.

High normal
Between 130/85 and 140/90

3. BMI
Body Mass Index is a measure of body fat based on weight and height calculated as; Weight (kg) Height (m2) Under weight Normal weight Overweight <18.5 18.5-24.9 25-29.9

High
More than 140/90 If the level is confirmed as more than 180/110 you have very high blood pressure. (Note: the word hypertension is often used for high blood pressure. Hypertension does not mean nervous tension.)

5. Waist circumference and hip circumference

This helps screen for possible health risks that come with overweight and obesity.