Cardiology Specialist, Dr. Albert Agbi, has called on every household in Ghana to invest in a blood pressure (BP) monitoring machine as a critical step in the early detection and management of hypertension.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, May 16, Dr. Agbi warned that high blood pressure remains a silent but deadly condition, with many people unaware of their elevated levels until serious complications such as stroke, heart failure, or kidney failure occur.
“When your blood pressure is high, you have no symptoms, so you never know. There are people walking about in our offices with blood pressures of 200, 220, and they have no symptoms,” he noted. “The first symptom is usually something serious.”
He emphasized that owning a BP monitor should be seen as essential, much like other household electronics.
“If you can have a television in your home, speakers, gas cookers, home theatres, you should have a correct BP checking machine so that everybody can check routinely,” Dr. Agbi advised.
He pointed to unhealthy lifestyles—such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and poor diet—as key risk factors contributing to the rising prevalence of hypertension in the country.
Dr. Agbi believes that regular blood pressure checks at home could lead to earlier detection and prompt medical intervention, potentially saving thousands of lives.
His remarks come amid increasing concerns over the number of Ghanaians suffering from undiagnosed or poorly managed hypertension, often discovered only after life-altering health events.
