Four in 10 screened at DITF found with undiagnosed hypertension
DAR ES SALAAM: MORE than 40 per cent of people screened at the ongoing 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) were found to have high blood pressure, with many unaware they were living with the potentially life-threatening condition, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) said.
The institute has screened and treated more than 1,100 people since the annual trade fair opened, with many attendees visiting its pavilion to check basic health indicators under the institute’s “Know Your Numbers” preventive health campaign.
JKCI surgeon Dr Thabit Ramadhani told the Daily News on the sidelines of the ongoing Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) that many Tanzanians are living with undiagnosed diseases because they rarely seek regular health screenings, with some failing to check their health even once a year.
“More than 40 percent of those who came for screening were diagnosed with hypertension without knowing they had it. Some arrived with dangerously high blood pressure levels yet had no symptoms and believed they were completely healthy,” Dr Ramadhani said.
The findings highlight the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Tanzania, where hypertension is often described as a “silent killer” because it can remain undetected until it causes serious complications such as heart attack, stroke or kidney disease.
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Dr Ramadhani said the screenings reveal a growing trend of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors among younger adults, reflecting changes in lifestyle associated with rapid urbanization.
He said conditions once associated with people over 50 are now being diagnosed in patients as young as 28 or 32. They see many people under 40 with severely elevated blood pressure.
He attributed the rise to increasingly sedentary lifestyles, growing consumption of processed and fast foods, poor dietary habits, physical inactivity and higher stress levels linked to urban living.
The institute urged citizens to undergo routine health checks even if they feel healthy, warning that hypertension frequently develops without noticeable symptoms.
“Many people are walking around with what is essentially a ticking time bomb. Knowing your numbers can help detect disease early and prevent life-threatening complications,” Dr Ramadhani said.
JKCI is providing free blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, heart rate and body mass index screenings. The institute has also deployed a fully equipped cardiac clinic offering electrocardiograms (ECG), echocardiograms, exercise stress tests, laboratory services and specialist consultations.
In addition, visitors are being screened for Hepatitis B, with those testing negative receiving vaccinations and those found to be infected referred for treatment and follow-up care.
