Why sex could be deadlier than hypertension - Expert warns

Prof Joseph Atiah Akamah, an Interventional Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Epidemiologist, has advised me to adhere to antihypertensive therapies by taking their medications as prescribed and not allow concerns over erectile dysfunction which could be a side effect of the treatment, to lead to their death.

Speaking in an interview with Bolgatanga-based Dreamz FM, Prof Akamah, stressed that rather than stopping the medication, male hypertensive patients with concerns about erectile dysfunction should consult with their doctors for a probable solution, adding that failure to stick to the dosages as prescribed often leads to a worsening of the situation and eventually death.

“The men are afraid the hypertensive medicine will cause them to be impotent. Is it better to be impotent or to have a stroke?

Is it better to be impotent than to have heart failure. If you have a heart failure or a stroke, can you get and chase the woman? Can you even perform in the bed?

So, check your blood pressure, take your medicine and then tell the doctor that your ‘man’ is not working. They will take care of it but if you fail to take your medicine, you will have a heart failure, kidney failure and the woman will be there,” Prof Akamah warned.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is persistently too high. It is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) with two numbers: systolic (when the heart beats) and diastolic (when the heart rests). Readings (\geq 140/90) mmHg indicate hypertension, making the heart work harder.

Hypertension is a major public health crisis in Ghana. An estimated 3.7 million Ghanaians (about 1 in 4 adults) live with high blood pressure, and it is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and adult hospital admissions in the country.