Heart disease is a type of disorder that occurs when a clot in the blood blocks blood flow to various heart sections. When the blood flow to the heart is blocked, the heart usually tends to lack oxygen, which makes the heart’s muscles die, which leads to a heart attack. Stroke, on the other hand, is a disorder that occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain with oxygenated blood gets clogged or bursts. Two types of stroke normally exist, and they include ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. This research paper, therefore, offers a discussion on heart disease and stroke within the Barbados society.
Based on the national registry of Barbados, it has been found that heart disease and stroke are among the leading disorders that cause death among the male adults of Barbados.
This has made the Health Ministry of Barbados collaborate with the Barbados Heart and Stroke Foundation to develop initiatives and programs that would assist in reducing the number of deaths caused by both heart disease and stroke among the male adults of Barbados.
Moreover, based on the national registry of Barbados, it has been found that women have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke until they reach their menopause age. Hence, younger women have a lower risk of having heart disease and stroke as compared to older women who are at their menopausal age.
Moreover, men who are above 55 years, along with older women in their post-menopausal age, usually tend to share similar risk profiles for both heart disease and stroke. Therefore, in the Barbados community, the prevalence of heart disease and stroke is high among the adult population as compared to the youth.
Heart Disease
Similarly, based on the Barbados national registry, it has been found that about 80 percent of those who suffer from either heart disease or stroke always suffer from hypertension. In contrast, six out of 10 patients who suffer from either stroke or heart disease normally tend to be diabetic.
Therefore, based on the information from the national registry of Barbados, it has been found that stroke and heart disease contribute to a high rate of death among adults in Barbados since they further make the affected people develop problems of high blood pressure and diabetes, which resultantly increase the rates of death when not properly controlled.
Besides, the government of Barbados has launched various initiatives normally aimed at controlling heart disease and stroke among the people of Barbados. Some of the initiatives established by the government include but are not limited to, setting the standard for cardiovascular disease care and the Jump Rope for Heart program.
Setting the standards for heart disease care has been used as an initiative for controlling heart disease stroke after the implementation of a new treatment protocol for hypertension.
It entails counseling the patients on lifestyle changes like advancing exercise and diet alongside reducing the use of tobacco, which normally acts as the main risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
This initiative mainly helped in counseling the patients to change their lifestyle to be free from the risk factors that might expose them to heart disease and stroke, which would lower their standard of life and even cause their death under extreme conditions.
Furthermore, Jump Rope for the Heart is an initiative to control heart disease and stroke among primary school children. This program encourages physical activities among children, which would considerably lower the chances of heart disease and stroke.
Also, the government of Barbados, through its Ministry of Health, has assisted in controlling heart disease and stroke in Barbados by partnering with the Health and Stroke Foundation to purchase tertiary cardiac rehabilitation services to assist in alleviating the affected patients from the adverse effects associated with heart disease and stroke.
Cardiac rehabilitation service
Cardiac rehabilitation service is a specialized medical service designed to enhance physical function and emotional health and lower the cardiovascular risk factors for individuals with a heart disorder. Hence, this program has assisted in controlling heart disease and stroke in Barbados since it normally reduces the risk factors that contribute to stroke and heart disease, thus making the population of Barbados live a healthier life.
Additionally, support from global heart programs has assisted in controlling heart disease and stroke in Barbados and has enabled Barbados to become a healthy community. The global heart initiatives for reducing heart disease entail developing salt reduction and tobacco control plans, improving access to medicine and technologies, and executing a simplified and standardized management protocol for heart disease.
Typically, the Global Hearts initiative depends on proven and effective interventions to counter heart disease and strengthen the detection and treatment of individuals at high risk of heart disease and stroke.
In conclusion, heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death in Barbados. It is most common among the adult population as compared to the youth.
Moreover, in an attempt to control heart disease and stroke, the government of Barbados, through its Ministry of Health, has launched various initiatives like jump rope for heart and purchasing cardiac rehabilitation programs, which have greatly contributed towards reducing heart disease and stroke in Barbados.
