Health & Wealth Stewards

  High blood pressure is one of those health problems that can be quietly damaging the body while a person feels perfectly normal. That is what makes it dangerous. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30–79 had hypertension worldwide in 2024 , and about 44% of adults with hypertension were unaware that they had it. For many people, the first sign that something is wrong may come only after a serious complication such as a stroke, heart problem or kidney disease. The good news is that high blood pressure can often be prevented, detected and controlled. And it starts with understanding what may be putting your blood pressure at risk. What Is High Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood around your body. When that pressure remains too high, it is called hypertension . Different medical guidelines use somewhat different thresholds. The WHO defines hypertension i...

  Your kidneys work around the clock to filter your blood, remove waste and excess fluid, and help keep your body's internal balance. The problem is that kidney disease can develop quietly, sometimes without obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred. Many people pay attention to their heart, blood sugar and blood pressure but rarely think about their kidneys until something goes wrong. That needs to change. The kidneys are two small, bean-shaped organs located toward the back of your abdomen. They perform several important jobs, including filtering waste from the blood, helping regulate fluid balance and supporting the body's blood-pressure and other regulatory systems. When kidney function is damaged over time, a person can develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) . Diabetes and high blood pressure are among the leading causes of CKD in adults. The good news is that there are practical steps you can take to reduce your risk and detect kidney problems earlier. What Exa...

  Caption: Keeping the brain active through healthy habits, physical activity, social connection and lifelong learning can support overall brain health as we age. We spend years building our careers, raising families, making investments and planning for the future. But there is another form of wealth that is often overlooked: the ability to remember, think, learn and make decisions clearly. Your brain controls virtually every aspect of your daily life. It helps you communicate, solve problems, remember people and places, control movement and make important decisions. As we grow older, occasional forgetfulness can happen. You might walk into a room and forget why you went there, struggle to remember someone's name temporarily or misplace your keys. These experiences do not automatically mean that something is seriously wrong. However, maintaining brain health throughout adulthood is an important part of healthy ageing. The good news is that several everyday habits can support overa...

  Taking care of your heart becomes increasingly important as you grow older. Regular medical check-ups and healthy lifestyle choices can help identify and manage cardiovascular risk factors early. Your heart works continuously from before you are born until the end of your life. Every minute, it pumps blood throughout your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients while carrying away waste products. Yet many people pay little attention to their cardiovascular health until something goes wrong. As people move into their 40s and beyond, maintaining heart health becomes particularly important. Age is one of several factors associated with cardiovascular disease, while conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking and physical inactivity can also increase risk. The good news is that many cardiovascular risk factors can be addressed through healthier habits and appropriate medical care. More importantly, some symptoms should never be ignored. 1. Chest...

  Understanding Type 2 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms, and Management Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic health conditions in the world, affecting hundreds of millions of people. Despite how widespread it is, many misconceptions persist about what causes it, who gets it, and how it can be managed. This article breaks down the essentials in clear, practical terms. What Is Type 2 Diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic condition in which the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or doesn't use insulin effectively — a state known as insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps move glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into cells, where it's used for energy. When insulin isn't working properly, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by cells, leading to elevated blood sugar levels over time. This is different from type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system attacks the insu...

  Diabetes: 10 Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore Diabetes Can Develop Quietly You eat your normal meals. You go to work. You continue with your everyday life. Then something changes. You are suddenly thirsty all the time. You visit the toilet more frequently. You feel unusually tired. Your eyesight becomes blurry. Perhaps you are losing weight without trying. Many people may dismiss these changes as stress, ageing or simply being tired. Sometimes, however, they can be signs of diabetes . Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin effectively. When blood glucose remains too high, it can gradually damage blood vessels, nerves and organs. The World Health Organization reported that the number of adults living with diabetes increased from about 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022 , with the burden rising particularly rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. That makes diabetes an important subject for Nigerian ...