THE HEART AND RELATED DISORDERS.

The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions.

HEART DISEASES
Heart diseases or Cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States. Heart disease is one of a number of different diseases which afflict the heart. The most common heart diseases are:

Coronary heart disease, the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium Ischaemic heart disease, a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart.

Cardiovascular disease, a class of diseases that involve the heart and/or blood vessels (arteries and veins), implies under this category some popular diseases like: diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Pulmonary heart disease, a failure of the right side of the heart,

Hereditary heart disease,

Hypertensive heart disease (Hypertension),

Inflammatory heart disease etc

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called the coronary artery disease refers to the failure of the coronary circulation to supply adequate circulation to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE is most commonly equated with Coronary artery disease although coronary heart disease can be due to other causes, such as coronary vasospasm. Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium. Angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack) are symptoms of and conditions caused by coronary heart disease. Over 459,000 Americans die of coronary heart disease every year. In the United Kingdom, 101,000 deaths annually are due to coronary heart disease, and it happens slowly over time.

CARDIOMYOPATHY: literally means "heart muscle disease" (Myo= muscle, pathy= disease) It is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (i.e., the actual heart muscle) for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death. Extrinsic cardiomyopathies – where the primary pathology is outside the myocardium itself. Most cardiomyopathies are extrinsic, because by far the most common cause of a cardiomyopathy is ischemia. The World Health Organization calls these specific cardiomyopathies such as Alcoholic cardiomyopathy, Coronary artery disease, Congenital heart disease, Nutritional diseases affecting the heart, Ischemic (or ischaemic) cardiomyopathy, Hypertensive cardiomyopathy, Valvular cardiomyopathy, Inflammatory cardiomyopathy, Cardiomyopathy secondary to a systemic metabolic disease, Myocardiodystrophy, Intrinsic cardiomyopathies – weakness in the muscle of the heart that is not due to an identifiable external cause. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – most common form, and one of the leading indications for heart transplantation. In DCM the heart (especially the left ventricle) is enlarged and the pumping function is diminished.

NHF supports Nigeria's 1st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt

I remember back in the days growing as a child, before the PS1, 2 or 3, X-Box etc, Cable TV and cellular phones were for the wealthy, we will come from school, after doing our homework (because mum always shouted at us to), we were very active, outdoorsy kind of kids. Despite the regular TV programs Vlotron, Thunder Sub, etc, we would all still come outside to play really hard no matter how much we might have had to eat, games such as Catcher (Tag), Ten Te (for girls), Police and Thief, and so on, those were the good old days and we then never worried about being overweight, falling ill or having heart related illness because we were heart healthy. All was well but of recent, seems like all the fun faded with time, kids are all indoors playing video games, do not interact with each other and are not street smart.

People do not tend to walk or stroll short distances, we drive our cars; we use intercoms or mobile phones in our offices when we could just walk into the next office, using the lift in-place of the stairs etc in short, we have lost it, the little activities that we in time past did or engaged in to exercise our bodies has been swapped for one level of comfort or the other. As we all know, “Health is Wealth”. In our bid to live a healthy life, we are to engage in various forms of activities to exercise and keep our bodies healthy but not all of us exercise regularly. This may be due to excuses like the current technological advancement on-going around us in the world today, time factors, stress etc, if this be the case then, what is to become of the FUTURE GENERATIONS?

If not for us then, for our generations yet unborn, we are to engage in heart healthy activities to reduce the rate of cardio-vascular diseases or illnesses, staying fit via regular exercise and eating healthy. We all may not notice but people die on a daily basis due to Cardio related causes.

The Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF), an affiliate of the World Heart Federation, Geneva, is a non-profit making and non-governmental organization concerned with the promotion of health and socio-economic well-being of Nigerians especially in the area of heart diseases. 

NHF was inaugurated in July 1992 by a group of eminent Nigerian citizens, seasoned professionals from diverse background including medical practitioners and mass media experts. All NHF's activities and programmes are geared towards achieving three goals:

·         Prevention and cure of heart diseases,

·         Promotion and support of research on cardio-vascular disease,

·         Public enlightenment on prevention of heart diseases and promotion of heart health.

NHF is a founding member of the African Heart Network and we have the following objectives:

1.       To promote the health and social well being of Nigerians especially in the areas of prevention and treatment of heart and allied diseases.

2.       To organize International, National and Local conferences, Seminars, Workshops and participate in forums on topics related to heart diseases.

3.       To disseminate up-to-date information on heart and other related diseases.

4.       To establish contact and affiliate with other groups, persons, organizations and associations with similar interests either within or outside the country.

5.       To establish and administer research fund.

6.       To create awareness, educate and enlighten the public on behavioural modification for the prevention of heart diseases and other cardiovascular problems.

Nigeria’s 1^st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt by The Latin Dance Club of The Latin Dance Company is honoured to be supported by and is in conjunction with the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) and together, we advocate for a heart healthy Nigerian society.

With the support of the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF), lets Live and engage in heart healthy activities.

Come Salsa your hearts out...

Cheers NHF,

NIGERIA’S 1ST SALSA FESTIVAL & WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT GETS SUPPORT FROM THE DANCE GUILD OF NIGERIA (GOND) LAGOS CHAPTER

In various countries around the world, Institutions have been put in place to see this (dance) through and here in Nigeria, our very own Institution that supports and promotes dance has thrown its weights solidly behind us as she is in full support of Nigeria’s 1st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt which is live here in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Dance Guild of Nigeria (GOND) is an affiliate of the International Dance Council (CID) and one of the vital organs of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), the regulatory body of the Theatre practices in Nigeria.

Founded in 1996 and chartered in 1997 by the NANTAP. GOND is the only recognized organ and body for dance artistes and other Para-dance artiste alike that is charged with the responsibility of coordinating, regulation and standardizing the practice of dance in Nigeria. GOND was also established to create a common ground where issues pertaining to the welfare, training and emancipation of the dance artiste and profession would be raised, discussed and addressed.

More importantly, GOND has since its establishment, organized workshops, lectures and seminar aimed at invoking interest in the practice, promotion and projection of the dance profession. Indeed GOND has in the last twelve years primed herself in the efforts at calling attention to the practice and functionality of the dance genre and the positioning of same as a veritable tool for the socio-political development of the Nigerian State.

The Guild has its headquarters in the National Theatre, Lagos but has 15 existing state Chapter, a board of Trustee, an Advisory Council and Executive officers both in National and States.

Has Nigeria’s former ambassador to Ethiopia Chief Segun Olusola, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu as Grand Patrons and Mr. Arnold B. Udoka as Chairman, Advisory Council (Nationa).

…We Dance To Live

SLIVERBIRD GROUP TAKES SALSA TO THE NEXT LEVEL

In the recent years, as Salsa grew in Nigeria, a group of companies stood to support the Salsa scene in Nigeria in their own way. Having become a total entertainment brand name, they have broken and set new bounderies in the world of entertainment i.e they have revolutionalize the entertainment industry. The group in itself has made it to the sole frontiers of entertainment merging both the local and foreign scenes in whole.

The group lead by its visionary management have introduced a lot programming which spike viewers interest such as the Miss Nigeria Beauty peagent, Rythmn Unplugged etc, they introduced Cinematography and generally turned watching television and listen to radio around. Here are some of the group’s subsidaries Silverbird Cinemas, Silverbird television, Rythmn 93.7, Silverbird Properties etc. I am referring to no other group of companies than the SILVERBIRD GROUP.

I am pleased to inform you all that the Silverbird group has consented to support the Nigeria’s 1^st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt as our official media partner as they have at least 70 million people watching and listening to them locally and gives an international platform too.

I am sure a couple of us did not know that the Silverbird Group has been a supporter of Salsa in the Nigerian context for a couple of years running and they have not relented in any way. It will interest you to know that we have being supported by the group since October 2005, via the Absolutely Salsa Competion.

Kudos to the Silverbird group for supporting Nigeria's 1^st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt .

Nigeria 1st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt

Now the Nigeria’s 1^st Salsa festival & World Records Attempt is still on and preparations are on the next level now as we have got confirmations from a couple of our associates/colleagues that have consented being here live in Lagos, Nigeria to be part of this great experience.

I am talking about a couple of known brands within the Salsa world in Africa such as Salsa Ghana which will be lead by UnoSalsa of Ghana  and a host of others will be coming to grace the event and not only that they will be there but they will also be part of that day, don’t want to let the whole fun out of the bag but Nigeria’s 1^st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt is going to be the talk of history for a very long while.

I am endearing us all to be there and be part of Nigeria’s 1^st Salsa Festival & World Record Attempt in Lagos, Nigeria.