Dr. Isaac Okyere, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), advises against early relationships for tertiary students.
He emphasizes that the heart, being an emotional organ, can weaken under stress, increasing the risk of hypertension.
Dr. Okyere shared these insights during a monthly podcast organized by the E-Learning Centre of KNUST, focusing on “Heart Health: The Heart of Man and Total Wellbeing.”
Early emotional involvement often leads to heartbreaks, which can significantly impact students’ emotional and psychological well-being, affecting their academic performance.
“There is much life ahead of you. If you have the so-called “broken heart syndrome”, you are putting stress on the heart. One can go through and have psychiatric issues while another may not feel anything. Guard your heart with all diligence. Be careful with your relationship here on campus. There is so much stress awaiting you outside campus in terms of work, and marriage among others,” he advised.
Students have been cautioned against engaging in activities like the “September rush,” where returning students seek romantic relationships with incoming female freshmen.
It has been reported that some students are already living as couples on campus, highlighting the prevalence of relationships among the student body.
Recent research from the National Library of Medicine in 2021 revealed concerning statistics among Ghanaian students in secondary educational institutions. The study found that 19.91% of students were hypertensive, while 26.07% were prehypertensive.
These findings suggest a potential rise in hypertension prevalence among the adult population in the future if preventive measures are not implemented.
Dr. Isaac Okyere emphasized the importance of youth managing their diet, monitoring glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure levels, and reducing alcohol consumption and smoking habits.