Why are breast cancer and hypertension on the rise in Goa?

Over 250 new breast cancer cases are detected every year and hypertension is playing havoc with the health of Goans, who are otherwise known for their laid-back lifestyle, a survey said. The survey conducted by Indus Health Plus, a preventive healthcare company, also revealed that cardiovascular diseases top the list of lifestyle ailments in Goa, followed by obesity and hypertension.

‘Over 250 new breast cancer cases are detected every year in Goa,’ said joint managing director of Indus Health Plus, Amol Naikwadi, Thursday. He also said the number of women contracting cardiovascular diseases was increasing in Goa. The survey was based on a sample of more than 8,000 people from both rural and urban Goa in the 25-65 age group, he added. Naikwadi said the sample survey revealed that 45-50 percent of the people were habituated to consumption of alcohol. 

‘High intake of junk food and alcohol has increased the numbers drastically… Goans consume much more than the average number of drinks in other places,’ he said. The survey also revealed that 20 to 30 percent of the youngsters, in the 25-35 age group, were obese, while over 20 percent of the population was suffering from diabetes. ’8.78 percent of the men and 7.08 percent of the women between the age group of 35-40 years suffer from hypertension because of work and related stress. Smoking, lack of exercise added to the high levels of blood pressure amongst youngsters in Goa,’ Naikwadi said. 

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a type of cancer originating from the breast tissues. Both men and women can be afflicted by it though it’s rarer in men. Along with cervical cancer it’s one of the most common types of cancer that afflicts women. One of the major issues with breast cancer is that it is often not detected soon enough. This is due to low awareness about the disease. Detecting it early can significantly reduce the death risk.

What is hypertension? 

Hypertension is the medical terminology for high blood pressure. Blood flows through the arteries due to force that is exerted every time the heart beats to pump blood to various organs of your body. The force with which blood flows exerts pressure on the walls of the arteries. The more the pressure, the harder your heart has to work to pump blood.

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). 120/80 mmHg is considered as the normal reading for blood pressure, where 120 is the pressure when the heart beats to pump out blood (systolic pressure) and 80 is the pressure when the heart rests between beats (diastolic pressure). A person is said to have hypertension when the blood pressure readings are 140/90 mmHg or higher.

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic conditions that can lead to several other health problems  in the presence of contributing factors like genetics, obesity or high cholesterol levels. These factors further increase the resistance of blood flow through the arteries and cause high BP. Elevated blood pressure is linked to a variety of diseases like coronary artery diseases, stroke, kidney diseases, vision loss and erectile dysfunction. Hypertension can be curtailed by changes like exercising more, eating right and reducing stress apart from taking anti-hypertensive drugs.

Source:  http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/why-are-breast-cancer-and-hypertension-on-the-rise-in-goa/