Raising Awareness

Recently on our Youtube channel, we shared a video talking all about the Metabolic Syndrome. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlz5o8L31aw)

To follow it up, here is a post dedicated to raising awareness of our risk. Risk factors, as well as risk presented as mortality figures.

This dataset, taken from GBD (http://www.healthdata.org/trinidad-and-tobago) shows a comparison of all cause mortality in our twin island republic from 2009 to 2019. And despite some changes vis a viz road injuries and violence, the top spots haven't changed. Lets reiterate for added emphasis: Heart Disease, Diabetes and Strokes (as well as Kidney Disease) are still the leading causes of death in Trinidad and Tobago.

This accompanying dataset (also taken from GBD) demonstrates the risk factors driving mortality and morbidity over the same period.

And yet again, Impaired fasting glucose, High BMI and High BPs are the standouts. Not just because they contribute to the aforementioned Heart disease, Diabetes and Stroke, but also because individually (and together) they compromise our Quality of Life.

Want an eye opener? Check out our stats for causes of DALYs (Disease Adjusted Life Years) from the above link.

And it starts, as we say, "from young", as our youth (viz schoolchildren) are now 1 in 2 for either obesity or overweight. Yes, you read that right. 1 in 2 in 2018. Up from 1 in 3 in 2010, up from 1 in 10 in 2001. (Read it here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2574254X.2020.1847632)

That's startling, not just for the metabolic syndrome, but also because their Diabetes will likely be more aggressive, and their risk of obesity associated cancer will also commensurately rise.

Its time to take action, while we still can.

#CautiousAndConcerned