High blood pressure, or hypertension, is on the rise in Nigeria. It is a condition that occurs when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels.

The prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria is estimated to be around 36%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Hypertension Nigeria 2023 profile.

The World Heart Federation puts hypertension as the number one risk factor for death globally, accounting for about half of all heart disease and stroke-related deaths worldwide.

Hypertension was once thought to primarily affect the elderly. Experts in Nigeria now warn that young adults are increasingly at risk.

Ese Odogu, a fashion designer based in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, was diagnosed with the condition at 26 and has been living with the condition ever since.

'Stress major factor for hypertension'

"One of the things I started noticing was my hair falling out," she told DW.

Odogu says stress was a major contributing factor in her developing hypertension, along with waking up at 4 a.m., getting home late after 10 p.m. and not getting enough sleep while working a previous job in the banking sector. 

Odogu described how she underwent tests and was shocked when she was told she was hypertensive.

"The thing about hypertension is that they have to find out what drugs work for you," she said. "So they have to keep testing with different kinds of medication to see which one would actually work for your kind of hypertension."

"There are certain things I cannot do," she told DW. "I cannot allow myself to get frustrated, I can't be angry because once I'm angry that means my blood pressure will flare up. And certain foods I can't eat."

If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to severe complications like heart failure and stroke, the WHO has warned.

Preventable risks fuel health crisis

Medical experts, such as John Tehinse, a food scientist at the Nigeria Health and Environmental Development, point to the current trend as resulting from dietary causes, such as high salt intake.

Simeon Isezuo, a consultant cardiologist at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto said risk factors associated with hypertension include "high-salt diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption, chronic stress, smoking, and genetic predisposition."

Other experts say that awareness is still dangerously low, with a 2021 meta-data analysis indicating that among people in Nigeria with hypertension, only 29% were aware of their condition, 12% were on treatment, and just 3% achieving control.

"Most of these risk factors are preventable," said Dr. Francis Asogwa, a consultant cardiologist based in Lagos. "We have seen a lot of cardiovascular complications in young adults, young adults are beginning to have strokes … myocardial infarction, pulmonary artery disease and heart failure."

He warns that the current rise in hypertension rates in Nigeria's young adults could have serious consequences on the country's already struggling economy and healthcare sector.

"In a country where the life expectancy is about 56.5 years and you are having people between 18 to 39 years develop high blood pressure, it will really affect the demography of the country, and most importantly the economy of the country," he told DW.

Drug costs deepen hypertension burden

Odogu echoes this sentiment, noting that living with hypertension already comes with a significant financial strain on her income due to Nigeria's cost-of-living crisis, and an increase in the price of medications. 

"Some people are lucky to have just one medication to help them, I'm placed on three and one alone costs about 3,000 naira [around $2, €1.78]," she explained.

"So that means sometimes it's 9,000 naira and because of [the] economy, sometimes I'm spending between 11,000 to 12,000 naira for these three medications."

Nigeria is Africa's most populated nation with over 230 million people, many of whom form part of the country's youthful 18–35 age demographic, and experts say more needs to be done in the area of hypertension preventative awareness and care.

In October 2024, Nigeria's government through its health ministry launched a nationwide "know your numbers" initiative with free screening for adults 18 years and over for hypertension and diabetes — the two most prevalent non-communicable diseases.

Some are turning to social media to raise the alarm. Dr. Olawale Ogunlana, a health advocate who shares videos on various health topics, says young adults can be reached more effectively through their smartphones and made aware of the risks of early-onset  hypertension.

"I actually strongly believe that social media currently is the most powerful public health tool that we have to bridge the gap between hospital and home," says Olawale, whose videos have garnered millions of views on social media platform TikTok.

He also highlights an "invincibility bias" that young people often show when it comes to taking reponsibility for their health. Like other experts, he advises cutting down on salty foods, eating a healthy diet, staying active, and getting regular medical check-ups.

"Every young adult should know their blood pressure just as well as they know their phone number and the passcodes to their phones," he told DW.

"If you can remember the passcodes to your bank apps, then you should remember your working blood pressure, you should know it."

Back at home as she does her routine blood pressure checks using a home kit, Odogu hopes that as young people spend more time online and on social media, more young adults like her can become aware about hypertension and "how to avoid it."

But now aged 31, she is not thrilled on the prospect of life-long medications due to hypertension.

"It can be really frustrating not living a normal life, living on medications every day. It's not funny, it's not nice."

Edited by: Keith Walker