THE Department of Health (DOH) observed that cases of hypertension and diabetes patient diagnosis have increased since the pandemic.
“Nakita namo tag-as ang hypertension and diabetes na mga bag-ong diagnose, why? Because we are just sitting down, we are eating so much, daghan mga ayuda na mga delata, and then kaya sinasabi namin na galaw-galaw para di pumanaw (We have observed that we have an increase in newly diagnosed cases of hypertension and diabetes...since there are a lot of canned goods provided, that’s why we are telling everyone to exercise so you won’t die),” Dr. Maria Theresa Bad-ang, Spokesperson of DOH Renal Disease Control Program, said on June 29 during the virtual presser of the Philippine Information Agency.
Bad-ang said not doing exercise will result in health issues.
“Kay hindi sila masyadong lumalabas (Because they are not going out), they gain weight, they develop metabolic syndrome, naging resistant ng insulin nila sa ilahang lawas (their bodies become resistant to insulin), so they get fat, and they get pre-diabetes and hypertension,” Bad-ang said.
Bad-ang said hypertension and diabetes cause kidney disease.
“Hypertension and diabetes are the number cause of in-stage kidney disease, maong ginabalik na namog promote nga health-seeking behavior dapat, you now see na magiging number five killer na ang chronic kidney disease later on kung dili nato e-stop ang diabetes and hypertension (that’s why we will bring back promoting health-seeking behaviors. You will see that chronic hypertension will become the number five killer later on since we were not able to stop diabetes and hypertension),” Bad-ang said.
Also, Bad-ang said that nowadays, patients prefer to self-medicate rather than practice health-seeking behavior.
“We observed that yong mga patients natin na diabetic and hypertensive hindi nabantayan, wala ng health seeking behavior, hindi na magpunta sa doktor, and then magdoktor-doktor nalang, and then kung ano ang ginainom sa silingan, mao lang (diabetic and hypertensive patients are not being cared for because they don’t practice health-seeking behavior. They are not consulting doctors, in fact, they self-medicate, and then whatever their neighbors are drinking they will also drink it),” Bad-ang said. KSD