Episode 207: Understanding Hypertension and Diabetes (Pidjin English) Written by Michael Ozoemena, MD.
Episode 207: Understanding Hypertension and Diabetes (Pidjin English)
Written by Michael Ozoemena, MD.
You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.
Hypertension
Segment 1: What Is Hypertension?
HOST:
Let’s start with the basics. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Think of it like water running through a garden hose—if the pressure stays too high for too long, that hose starts to wear out.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, means this pressure is consistently elevated. It is measured using two numbers:
Normally reading is around 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension is defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) as 130/80 mmHg or higher.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) defines hypertension as persistent elevation of systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure, with the diagnostic threshold for office-based measurement set at 140/90 mm Hg or higher.
Segment 2: Why Should We Care?
HOST:
Hypertension is known as “the silent killer” because most people have no symptoms. Even without symptoms, it steadily increases the risk of:
Think of high blood pressure as a constant stress test on your blood vessels. The longer it goes uncontrolled, the higher the chance of complications.
Segment 3: What Causes High Blood Pressure?
HOST:
Hypertension usually doesn’t have a single cause. It often results from a combination of genetic factors, lifestyle, and underlying medical conditions.
Modifiable Factors
Non-Modifiable Factors
Hypertension may also be secondary to other conditions, such as kidney disease, thyroid disorders, adrenal conditions, or medications like NSAIDs or steroids.
Segment 4: How Is It Diagnosed?
HOST:
Diagnosis requires multiple elevated blood pressure readings taken on different occasions. This includes office readings, home blood pressure monitoring, or ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
If you haven’t had your blood pressure checked recently, this is your reminder. It’s simple—and it could save your life.
Segment 5: Treatment and Management
HOST:
Lifestyle changes are often the first line of treatment:
If these steps aren’t enough, medications may be necessary. These include:
Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, Calcium channel blockers, Beta-blockers
Your healthcare provider will choose the best medication based on your health profile.
Segment 6: What You Can Do Today
HOST:
Here are three simple, actionable steps you can take right now:
Small steps can lead to big, lasting improvements.
Summary
Hypertension may be silent but understanding it gives you power. Early action can add healthy years to your life. Take charge of your blood pressure today.
Diabetes
1. Wetin Diabetes Be and Wetin E Go Do to Person Body?
Q: Wetin diabetes mean?
A: Diabetes na sickness wey make sugar (glucose) for person blood too high. E happen because the body no fit produce insulin well, or the insulin wey e get no dey work as e suppose.
Q: Wetin go happen if diabetes no dey treated well?
A: If diabetes no dey treated well, e fit damage the blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, eyes, and even the heart.
2. Wetin Cause Diabetes and Why Black People Suffer Pass?
Q: Wetin cause diabetes?
A: E no be one thing wey cause diabetes. E dey happen because of mix of gene, lifestyle, environment, and society factors.
Q: Why Black/African Americans get diabetes more?
A: Black people for America get diabetes more because of long-standing inequality, stress, low access to healthcare, and the kind environment wey many of them dey live in. These things dey make Black people more at risk.
3. Diabetes Rates for America and Black People?
Q: How many people get diabetes for America?
A: For America today, over 38 million people get diabetes, and the number dey rise every year.
Q: Why Black people dey suffer diabetes more than White people?
A: About 12% of Black adults get diabetes, compared to just 7% for White adults. Black people also dey get the sickness earlier and e dey more severe.
4. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes?
Q: Wetin be the early signs of diabetes?
A: The early signs no too strong, but when e show, e fit include:
5. How Doctor Go Diagnose Diabetes?
Q: How doctor fit confirm say person get diabetes?
A: Doctor go do some lab tests to confirm:
Q: Wetin happen if HbA1c test no match the person?
A: If HbA1c result no match person symptoms, doctor fit repeat test or try other tests like FPG or OGTT.
6. Wetin Screening and Early Diagnosis Fit Do?
Q: Why screening for diabetes dey important?
A: Screening dey important because early detection fit prevent serious complications from diabetes.
Q: How often person go do diabetes test?
A: Adults wey get overweight or obesity, between 35–70 years, suppose do diabetes screening every three years. But because Black adults get higher risk, doctors dey start screening earlier and more often.
7. How Person Fit Manage Diabetes?
Q: Wetin be the best way to manage diabetes?
A: The two main ways to manage diabetes be:
Q: Wetin be SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 drugs?
A: SGLT-2 inhibitors dey help with kidney and heart problems, while GLP-1 drugs dey help with weight loss and prevent stroke.
Q: Wetin be first-line treatment for diabetes?
A: First-line treatment for diabetes be metformin, unless person no fit tolerate am.
Q: How much exercise a person suppose do?
A: Person suppose do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This fit include things like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling. E also good to add muscle-strength training two or three times weekly to help control sugar.
Q: When insulin therapy go be needed?
A: Insulin therapy go be needed if person A1c is higher than 10%, or if person dey hospitalized and their glucose dey above the 140-180 range. This go help bring the blood sugar down quickly.
8. Wetin Be the Complications of Diabetes?
Q: Wetin fit happen if diabetes no dey well-managed?
A: Complications fit include kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, leg ulcers, heart attack, stroke, and emotional issues like depression.
Q: Why Black adults get more complications?
A: Black people get higher risk of these complications because of inequality, stress, and poor access to healthcare.
9. Wetin Dey Affect Access to Diabetes Treatment?
Q: Wetin make Black people struggle to get treatment for diabetes?
A: Many Black people no dey get new effective treatments like GLP-1 and SGLT-2 inhibitors because of price, insurance issues, and lack of access. COVID-19 also worsen things.
Q: Wetin government and doctors fit do?
A: Policymakers dey work on improving access to drugs, better community programs, and screening for social issues wey fit affect diabetes care.
10. Conclusion
Q: Wetin be the solution to reduce diabetes impact?
A: The solution go need medical treatment, early screening, lifestyle support, and policy changes. With proper treatment and community support, e possible to reduce the impact of diabetes, especially for Black communities.
Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week!
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