Accra, March 12, GNA – Dr Yugal Kishore Mishra, a Chief Cardiovascular Surgeon and Head of Clinical Services, of the Manipal Hospitals, India, has cautioned females against overly stressing themselves, at work and home which could lead to cardiovascular diseases.
He said cardiovascular diseases were now killing more women than breast cancer, especially those who were working in a stressful and very demanding environment.
“Stress and depression when not managed properly can lead to cardiovascular problems. Reducing stress is very important, so let’s not overwork ourselves at work and home. Let’s get good sleep, exercise, take healthy foods, and meditate to keep our bodies fit,” he advised.
Dr Mishra gave the advice at a webinar organised by the Manipal Hospitals for women worldwide including Journalists, as part of their outlined programmes to commemorate the 2022 International Women’s Day.
The webinar was to enlighten women on varied health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems, reproductive health challenges, nutrition and diet, and breast disorders among other conditions on the theme: “Circle of Care: Women’s Health.”
The Cardiovascular Surgeon stated that Harvard Research had shown that women got pulmonary artery heart disease more than men, and reiterated the need for them to avoid high-risk factors like stress, obesity, and diabetes which were worse in them than men.
Dr Ashish Nandwani, a Consultant, Nephrology and Renal Transplant, Manipal Hospitals, speaking on kidney diseases, said women faced a lot of stress from hormonal changes during pregnancy with the most common being hypertension.
Hypertension, he said, could and sometimes led to preeclampsia and eclampsia that gave them seizures.
Moreover, many women get kidney problems, hence, the number of females getting transplant across the globe were many.
“Therefore, this means females are more of recipients of kidney transplants than donors,” he added.
Dr Nandwani appealed to the public, especially women to take better care of their health and lead health-conscious lifestyles.
Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, the Vice President, Ghana Journalists Association, admonished Journalists, and all women working in stressful environments to always consider their health as a priority adding, “our families and society need us to care for them, therefore let us take good care of ourselves so we can be there for them when they need us.”
Though the work of Journalists was demanding and time-consuming, she suggested that they stretched their muscles after sitting for hours behind their computers to reduce the impact of the hard days’ work.
Speaking on the global theme for International Women’s Day: “Break the Bias,” Mrs Agyei entreated women to challenge themselves by taking up leadership positions while bearing in mind that they were like the foundations and pillars of every building and “once the foundations collapse, the entire building will fall flat.”
Ms Judie Kaberia, the Executive Director, Association of Media Women in Kenya, bemoaned the non-existence of off days or maternity leave for women Journalists in Kenya during elections, explaining that this overstressed them, affecting their health and their productivity at work.
She asked Journalists to strike a balance and take good care of themselves, and desist from only focusing on their work entirely, adding: “Personally, I overworked myself without going off for some time and it affected my skin while I was as well battling insomnia.”
GNA