BARBADOS IS sitting on a minefield when it comes to strokes and heart attacks.
And, a warning is also going to Bajans to control their expanding waistlines, a condition which seems to be readily accepted.
The health advice is coming from the Heart & Stroke Foundation as it gets ready to observe World Heart Day on September 29 and International Stroke Day on October 29.
Chief executive officer of the 30-year old foundation, Gina Pitts, said at a Press briefing Thursday that under-40s should be very concerned about the prospect of suffering a stroke or heart attack.
“As a former registrar for the Barbados National Registry for the non-communicable diseases, I was party to writing the very first report for them and we did notice that under-55s – men especially – were at more risk of having heart attacks. That was quite a concern to us,” she said.
She also said the Cardiac Rehab Unit at the foundation was catering to a 24-year-old who suffered a stroke.
