Gathoni said years prior, the diseases only affected the elderly. However, current data shows people in their prime ages suffering from the same.
“We have to look at what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat it. Then exercising your body frequently is definitely going to keep you safe from such.
"However, the numbers show that people here are not really paying attention to all this flags,” Gathoni said.
There is no definite age linked to hypertension or a heart attack.
However, experts believe the kind of lifestyle choices made, diet plans, workout routines and stress management can influence the probability of suffering from cardiac diseases.
The executive said high consumption of sugary and oily foods without a workout culture is to blame for the high number of high blood pressure cases in the county.
Gathoni said to address the same, the county government under the Universal Healthcare Coverage, had initiated a programme focused on non-communicable diseases.
The programme aims to address prevention, early detection and management.
“The main culprit is the sedentary lifestyle, if that doesn’t stop, then these cases will unfortunately keep soaring.
"As a county we will do what we can but the buck stops with each of us to make the right lifestyle choices,” Gathoni said.
She urged the public to embrace a habit of walking and jogging to keep NCDs at bay.
Women in Lamu old town have also urged investors to set up modern female gyms as part of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Lamu town is predominantly Muslim where the culture and religion forbids women from socially interacting with men who are not their husbands.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
