Countdown To World Heart Day 2025: Nigeria Must Stop Believing Deadly Myths About Heart Attacks -By Isaac Asabor

In less than two weeks, on September 29, the world will pause for a vital cause, World Heart Day 2025. This annual observance, created by the World Heart Federation in partnership with the World Health Organization back in 1999, has become the single biggest global platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD). The numbers are grim: CVD, which includes heart attacks and strokes, remains the world’s number one killer, claiming more than 17.9 million lives every year.

Since the first World Heart Day was held in 2000, the day has grown into an international movement marked in over 90 countries. It is more than a date on the calendar; it is a lifeline, an urgent reminder that heart disease is largely preventable if we pay attention to risk factors. Every year, the campaign comes with a theme that drives its message home. This year, the theme is “Don’t Skip the Beat”, a powerful call not to ignore symptoms, not to delay lifestyle changes, and not to postpone preventive care. Every beat of the heart is precious, and once it is skipped permanently, there is no coming back.

But here in Nigeria, the message of World Heart Day often collides with a stubborn wall of cultural myths and misconceptions that continue to cost lives unnecessarily. These misconceptions are so deeply ingrained in everyday life that people cling to them even as evidence proves otherwise. And unless we confront them head-on, all the awareness campaigns in the world will do little to change our dire reality.

Ask an average Nigerian why they do not eat vegetables, fruits, beans, or fish regularly, and the answer is predictable: “Those things are too expensive.” It is an excuse that has been repeated so often it now sounds like fact. But here is the truth: many of these foods are not out of reach. Locally grown vegetables like ugu, waterleaf, and okra are cheaper than processed junk foods. Seasonal fruits such as mangoes, pawpaw, oranges, and bananas are within reach for most households. Beans, millet, and maize, nutritious staples, are not reserved for elites.

The problem is not availability; it is priority. Nigerians would rather spend N1000 on fried snacks and sugary drinks than N500 on fresh vegetables. They call heart-healthy foods unaffordable but think nothing of blowing money on beer, shawarma, or suya. And yet, when the inevitable heart complications arise, they are quick to complain about the “high cost of hospital treatment.” Let us be honest: prevention is always cheaper than cure. The lie that healthy food is for the rich is one of the deadliest myths undermining heart health in this country.

There is also this foolish stigma around trekking. Walking is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to strengthen the heart. Studies consistently show that 30 minutes of brisk walking a day lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and reduces the risk of heart attack. But in Nigeria, walking, or trekking, as it is commonly called, is mocked as a sign of poverty.

If a man chooses to walk to his workplace or to the market, he risks being whispered about: “Things must be hard for him. He cannot even afford transport fare.” This foolish stigma discourages people from embracing walking as a deliberate form of exercise. Meanwhile, the same individuals who sit glued to buses, cars, or office chairs for hours every day are nurturing waistlines and potbellies that push them closer to cardiovascular disaster.

Here is the irony: the so-called “poor” man trekking daily may unknowingly have a stronger, healthier heart than the “big man” who has not walked a kilometer in years. This is the kind of societal nonsense World Heart Day seeks to correct, but Nigerians must be willing to listen.

Looking at another myth in this context, it is expedient to recall that not a few Nigerians consider fatness to be a sign of prosperity. Unfortunately, according to medics, fatness is not prosperity.  In many Nigerian communities, fatness is celebrated as evidence of wealth and good living. A potbelly is hailed as a badge of success, while slimness is sometimes ridiculed as a sign of sickness or poverty. Women with fuller figures are praised as attractive and “well taken care of.” But this cultural glorification of obesity is killing us.

Medically, obesity is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Excessive body fat, especially around the abdomen, is linked to high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension, all of which increase the likelihood of heart attack. The hard truth is that fatness is not “enjoyment”; it is a health hazard. Yet, because our culture rewards size, many people indulge in lifestyles that endanger their hearts while basking in hollow validation.

Alcohol is another area where misconceptions thrive. In many circles, a man’s strength is measured by how many bottles of beer he can down. Moderation is mocked as weakness, and abstinence is dismissed as boring. But medically, heavy drinking damages the heart muscle, raises blood pressure, and contributes to obesity. The culture of excess has turned social drinking into a cardiovascular time bomb.

The same goes for smoking. Some Nigerians console themselves with the myth that smoking “once in a while” is harmless, or that drinking milk can “wash away” its effects. Lies! Every stick of cigarette damages blood vessels and reduces oxygen in the blood. There is no safe level of smoking, and believing otherwise is reckless self-deception.

Preventive health is still treated as an unnecessary luxury in Nigeria. Many people refuse to go for medical check-ups, arguing: “Why should I go to the hospital when I am not sick?” High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, the silent killers, show few symptoms until they trigger something catastrophic. By then, it is often too late. Worse still, many patients who do get diagnosed abandon their medication once they “feel better,” not realizing that these conditions require long-term management.

Add to this is the way Nigerians glorify stress. Sleepless nights hustling, endless worrying, and constant fatigue are worn like badges of honor. Rest is misinterpreted as laziness. But prolonged stress raises cortisol, increases blood pressure, and weakens the heart. By normalizing exhaustion, we are digging our graves with both hands.

This is why World Heart Day 2025 is so important. Its theme, “Don’t Skip the Beat,” speaks directly to these issues. It reminds us not to ignore early warning signs, not to skip regular check-ups, and not to postpone healthy lifestyle changes. It calls for vigilance, consistency, and honesty about our habits.

World Heart Day exists because cardiovascular disease is not destiny, it is preventable. By eating wisely, exercising, avoiding tobacco, moderating alcohol, reducing stress, and taking medical advice seriously, we can save millions of lives. But first, we must tear down the wall of lies and cultural nonsense that make us believe otherwise.

As the countdown is on, permit this writer to opine that publishing this piece ahead of September 29 is deliberate. Nigerians need to reflect before the hash tags and speeches flood the media. We need to start questioning the myths today, not tomorrow, not when chest pain strikes, and not when a loved one collapses.

So as the countdown to World Heart Day begins, Nigerians must confront a sobering reality: our excuses are killing us. The heart does not care about cultural perceptions or societal applause. It does not care if your community praises your potbelly as prosperity or mocks your walking as poverty. It does not care if you laugh off smoking or boast about drinking. When the beat stops, all excuses stop with it.

This year, let us stop lying to ourselves. Let us reject the myths and embrace truth. Because if we keep skipping common sense, sooner or later, we will skip a heartbeat we cannot afford to lose.