PNTC Health Club Advocates Healthy Living to Combat Hypertension

The Health Club of the Psychiatric Nurses’ Training College (PNTC), Ankaful, has called for stronger public awareness and lifestyle changes to prevent and manage hypertension—one of the leading silent killers in Ghana.

Speaking during their radio talk show on Ahomka FM in Elmina, members of the club explained that hypertension is a condition where blood pressure in the arteries remains abnormally high, often without noticeable symptoms, yet capable of leading to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

They noted that while hypertension can be influenced by genetic factors, it is often linked to unhealthy lifestyle habits, including poor diet, lack of physical activity, stress, and excessive salt intake.

The discussion emphasized that the condition can be effectively managed through healthy lifestyle practices such as:

• Reducing salt in meals

• Exercising regularly

• Avoiding alcohol and smoking

• Maintaining a healthy body weight

• Managing stress effectively

In some cases, the student nurses explained, medications such as diuretics and ACE inhibitors are prescribed by health professionals to help control blood pressure. However, they stressed that regular check-ups and routine blood pressure monitoring remain essential to early detection and prevention of complications.

The PNTC Health Club concluded their discussion with a strong advocacy message, urging the public to adopt healthy living habits as a proactive step toward reducing the growing burden of hypertension in Ghana.

Their call reinforces the message that “good health begins with good choices”—and that preventing hypertension starts with the small, everyday decisions we make about diet, exercise, and self-care.