High blood pressure, strokes and cardiovascular diseases are expected to increase during the holiday season because of excessive intake of fatty and sweet food, Dr. Jessica Fama, chief of technical services of the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office, said yesterday.

Fama said a lot of family gatherings and parties are organized every December and people are eating food with high cholesterol and fats excessively that trigger high blood pressure and strokes.

These diseases are highest during December and high-risk individuals are those aged 40 and above, she said. However, the statistics are slowly changing because there has been an increase in cardiovascular diseases even among children and teenagers, Fama said.

Although they still do not have the complete data for this year, she said reports have shown that children aged 10 years old have experienced hypertension.

Children’s’ lifestyles have changed over the years. They have become sedentary and do not do active sports anymore and this makes them prone to cardiovascular diseases, she also said.

However, these can be prevented though healthy diet and proper exercise, Fama said. Eating fruits, vegetables, and a high fiber diet will prevent such diseases in children and adults, she added. *LTG

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