Healthy Living

1.

Be spiritually active:

65% of Caribbeans describe themselves as Christian and most of the remainder practice another form of religion.

2.

Take charge of your blood pressure:

In The Caribbean, 55.3% of hypertensive patients were aware of it, 42% sought treatment, and only 37.7% have it under control. That means that 2 out of every 3 people with hypertension are not adequately treated.

3.

Control your cholesterol:

25% of Caribbeans have high cholesterol and only one third of those affected are adequately treated. A high cholesterol level can clog up arteries and prevent good blood flow.

4.

Track your blood sugar and maintain your ideal weight:

63.8% of females between the ages of 25 and 74 and 28.8% of males are obese. Obesity places a much greater burden on the heart and the circulatory system. The same is true with diabetes. Only 39.8% of diabetic patients are adequately treated.

5.

Enjoy regular exercise, follow a sensible diet, and get a good night’s sleep:

With 14.4% of the population living on less than $2 a day and a 10.9% unemployment rate, finding the time and resources to follow a healthy lifestyle is difficult. And although the Ministry of Health is trying to manage obesity by implementing regional health initiatives and agriculture, Caribbe ans still struggle to control their weight.

6.

Don’t smoke:

Currently, 20.2% of Caribbeans smoke. However, according to the Ministry of Health, this is decreasing as fewer and fewer people indulge.

7.

Get checkups regularly and take your medication as prescribed:

In a recent survey, 22.2% of people who were ill did not go to seek treatment due to lack of funds. Meanwhile, there are 85 physicians per 100,000 Caribbe ans, compared to 256 per 100,000 Americans. The inadequate health resources compounded with insufficient means and/or malaise on the part of patients result in infrequent visits and non-compliance.