Abuja: For millions of Nigerians living with hypertension, managing the condition goes beyond taking prescribed medication. What people eat, how active they are, and other everyday lifestyle choices can influence their blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is one of the major risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 36.1 per cent of Nigerians aged 30 to 79 had hypertension in 2019. Globally, the burden is also substantial, with an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30 to 79 living with hypertension in 2024, representing about one in three people in that age group. Hypertension often produces no obvious symptoms, meaning many people may not know they have it until complications develop. The only reliable way to detect hypertension is to have blood pressure measured by a health professional or with an appropriate blood pressure device.
Against this background, health experts are urging Nigerians to pay greater attention to the factors that can increase blood pressure, including excessive sodium intake, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. Associate Prof. Florence Uchendu, a Public Health Nutrition and Epidemiology expert at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, described hypertension as a major public health problem, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria. She identified excessive sodium intake as an important dietary risk factor for high blood pressure and advised Nigerians to reduce the amount of salt used in cooking and avoid routinely adding extra salt to meals.
The advice is consistent with WHO recommendations, which call for adults to consume less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium daily, equivalent to less than five grammes of salt or about one teaspoon. In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has also said excessive sodium consumption is a significant contributor to high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. The ministry recommends a maximum of five grammes of salt daily and says Nigeria is implementing a national sodium reduction strategy.
Uchendu cautioned that reducing salt intake should not be interpreted as eliminating sodium completely because sodium is an essential nutrient required for normal body functions. She also advised Nigerians to be cautious about processed and packaged foods, including biscuits, bread, noodles, soft drinks, and other products that may contain substantial amounts of sodium or added sugar. Furthermore, she urged consumers to pay attention to information on sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats when buying processed foods.
According to WHO, excessive sodium intake is a well-established cause of raised blood pressure and contributes to cardiovascular and kidney disease. WHO estimates that excessive sodium consumption was associated with about 1.7 million deaths globally in 2023, underlining the importance of population-wide efforts to reduce intake. Beyond salt, Uchendu identified frequent consumption of fried foods, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, excessive alcohol intake, and diets high in unhealthy fats and refined sugars as other factors that could increase the risk of hypertension and related diseases.
She advised Nigerians to moderate their use of cooking oil, avoid repeatedly heating oil, and reduce consumption of heavily fried foods. Rather than relying heavily on packaged seasonings and processed foods, she recommended greater use of fresh vegetables, fruits, and locally available spices. She also encouraged households to prepare meals at home, where the quantities of salt, sugar, and oil could be better controlled.
Similarly, she advised people living with hypertension to consume fish and lean meats and choose lower-fat dairy products where appropriate. However, Uchendu stressed the need for professional dietary counselling, especially for people already living with hypertension or other diet-related chronic conditions. Meanwhile, Dr Omolade Falade, a public health physician at Bethel Specialist Hospital, Ibadan, urged Nigerians to challenge common health myths and adopt evidence-based approaches to preventing chronic diseases.
Falade said carbohydrates should not be eliminated completely from the diet, explaining that the type and quantity consumed were more important. She advised Nigerians to limit refined carbohydrates, including some white-flour products, cakes, pastries, and sugar-sweetened drinks. In addition, Falade cautioned against assuming that being thin automatically meant being healthy. She stressed the importance of routine medical checks regardless of body size, including measurement of blood pressure, weight, and height, as well as appropriate screening for conditions such as diabetes.
Regular physical activity, she added, was also important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Falade recommended brisk walking for about 30 minutes on five days a week, alongside other moderate physical activities suited to an individual’s health status. WHO similarly recommends physical activity, healthier diets, and weight management as important measures for preventing and controlling hypertension.
Moreover, Falade said prolonged or poorly managed stress could contribute to hypertension and other health problems, including poor sleep. She recommended meditation or prayer, deep breathing, social interaction, regular exercise, and professional support when necessary. She also stressed the importance of adequate sleep, recommending that adults aim for at least seven hours each night.
While lifestyle changes can significantly improve cardiovascular health, the experts stressed that they should not be viewed as substitutes for prescribed treatment in people diagnosed with hypertension. WHO advises people with hypertension to take medicines as prescribed and not to stop treatment without consulting a health professional.
Meanwhile, Dr Salma Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health and Policy, has called for stronger action to reduce excessive sodium consumption in Nigeria. Anas said excessive sodium intake was a major modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure and related diseases. She said Nigeria was facing a growing burden of diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. According to her, the consequences of unhealthy diets extend beyond health, as illness can reduce household income and productivity while increasing healthcare costs.
Mr Femi Stephen, Sodium Reduction Project Lead at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said Nigeria’s average daily sodium consumption stood at about 3.9 grammes, nearly twice the WHO recommended limit of two grammes of sodium daily. He said the ministry had developed the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction (2024), setting sodium targets for more than 30 categories of processed and packaged foods.
For Nigerians, the experts say the message is not to fear food but to make informed choices. This means reducing excessive salt and highly processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, remaining physically active, avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol, and monitoring blood pressure regularly. Most importantly, they advised people diagnosed with hypertension to combine healthy lifestyle changes with appropriate medical care and avoid stopping prescribed medication without professional advice. Early detection and sustained control can significantly reduce the risk of serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.