Hypertension care to be standardised amid spike in younger populations

In a move that is set to transform chronic disease care across Guyana, the Ministry of Health’s Chronic Disease Secretariat is rolling out a nationwide system to standardise the diagnosis, treatment, and management of hypertension – a condition increasingly affecting younger citizens and placing strain on the healthcare system.
The initiative, announced during a recent edition of Health Matters programme by Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Head of Medical Services and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), is part of a comprehensive strategy to combat what experts call the “silent killer.”
“The Chronic Disease Secretariat, through the Ministry of Health, is developing a very robust programme that includes protocols of identifying patients, screening them, treating them, and trying to standardize the care across the spectrum – whether it’s public or private. But most importantly, they are looking at making the interventions – in this case medicines – available on a continuous reliable basis to all patients in the country,” Dr Carpen explained.
“It’s very important to have screening from an early age: identify persons who have these potentially chronic debilitating risk factors, and then manage them with early intervention. So, we reduce the early age of onset of these complications. And also, from a national point of view, it reduces the burden on your healthcare system,” Dr Carpen detailed.
Research shows that chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes are manifesting among Guyanese 10 to 15 years earlier than in developed countries — most commonly among people in their 40s and 50s. By comparison, in North America, such conditions typically surface in persons who are in their 60s and 70s.
Accordingly, the Ministry’s new framework would consider routine screening and early diagnosis at both public and private health facilities as clinical protocols for consistent management of hypertension and related risk factors; continuous reliable availability of medication, regardless of patient location or income, and national training and support for healthcare providers in order to ensure evidence-based care.
According to Dr. Carpen, this move is crucial, given that the availability of medication remains a critical barrier, with many patients who need ongoing drug therapy failing to get consistent access, leading to poor disease control and deadly complications.
“We can continue to go after our lifestyle changes etc., but there are a number of persons who would have passed that stage or for whom that (stage) will not be sufficient for them to control their hypertension. So, drug intervention, medical therapy intervention, is going to be critical for those patients. And one of the barriers to control is availability, so I know for sure that the Ministry is working tremendously hard to get that barrier broken and make appropriate care available to all persons requiring care,” he added.
Hypertension is closely linked to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, forming what clinicians call a “polyvascular risk profile.” Dr. Carpen explained how this condition can damage arteries throughout the body, from strokes and heart attacks to kidney failure. With this in mind, he has urged citizens to maintain healthy lifestyles, especially avoiding salty processed foods, and to engage in regular physical activities, which are crucial in both preventing and controlling hypertension.
Additionally, drinking more water, reducing sugar, and using natural seasonings are all part of the Ministry’s ongoing public education campaign.