An article from Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) was published last month regarding the recent findings from the Cayman Islands’ Compendium of Statistics 2022.
One of the main findings discussed in their article was that 27% of deaths in Cayman were related to cardiovascular disease and 8% to diabetes mellitus.
In addition to the above, initial findings from the STEPS National Health Survey were also released stating 7 in 10 adults are overweight, 33% fall into the obese category and nearly 8% have high blood sugar levels.
Attending routine check-ups and physicals are key
In the article, Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, Director of Primary Healthcare at HSA, believes that the chronic disease related-deaths – approximately 35% of deaths in the Cayman Islands recorded in 2022 (cardiovascular disease and diabetes related deaths mentioned above), could have been prevented and can be prevented going forward if individuals begin to take more serious measures in managing their health.
Some of these measures mentioned included attending all recommended primary care appointments such as annual physicals and for those with a chronic disease, to visit their doctor every four to six months to ensure any issues can be dealt with and attended to as early as possible.
Dr Williams-Rodriguez stresses the importance of early intervention and then routine checkups, in not only improving the outlook for any disease or conditions diagnosed but also reducing the finances, time and resources.
“It is a known fact that early deaths associated with chronic non-communicable diseases are largely preventable with following primary care guidelines. To lower the numbers and improve the quality of life, we must begin to focus on remedying the situation quickly through altered lifestyle habits and consultations with doctors who are able to track and provide guidance to patients”
– DR. SAMUEL WILLIAMS-RODRIGUEZ, CAYMAN ISLANDS HSA DIRECTOR OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE, FROM HSA’S ARTICLE PUBLISHED 18TH JANUARY 2024
HSA has several clinics available including General Practice, Geriatric Services and their Urgent Care Clinic (which as of last month is now open daily; see our article on that here). Dr Williams-Rodriguez encourages individuals to utilise these clinics and attend their appointments regularly – all which can help with reducing prevalence of these cardiovascular and diabetes-related deaths.
To view the full article, click here.
Other Resources Available
We’re currently in the month of February at the time of our release of this article. February is Heart Month, which is dedicated to raising awareness and increasing education surrounding cardiovascular health. In addition to the above recommendations from HSA, there are many resources from health care providers and organisations about Heart Month and what you need to know about cardiovascular disease, along with a range of fun activities and walk/runs to get involved in, in the Cayman Islands. We’ve listed a few resources below that you can check out:
