27 November 2022

• Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent atherosclerosis.

Years ago Tanzanian star Mbosso was diagnosed with a heart condition known as ‘arteriosclerosis’

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in and on the artery walls. This buildup is called plaque.

The plaque can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Swahili, Mbosso says that the condition affects him as he cannot give a good live performance.

"When I sleep at night, sometimes I wake up feeling pain to an extent of me crying. Sometimes I get pain and my hands go numb. My hands shake every time. I asked my parents and they said that is how I was born.

According to them, I kept breaking things while growing up that is why most of the things were done for me."

Mbosso reminisced on a past event where his manager had to intervene as he could not lift his guitar.

He was to treat his fans to a guitar session during an event in Mbeya, when the time came he tried picking the guitar from the floor to no avail. as his hands were shaking.

According to Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms of moderate to severe atherosclerosis depend on which arteries are affected. For example:

If you have atherosclerosis in your heart arteries, you may have chest pain or pressure (angina).
If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your brain, you may have sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, difficulty speaking or slurred speech, temporary loss of vision in one eye, or drooping muscles in your face. These signal a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Untreated, a TIA can lead to a stroke.
If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries in your arms and legs, you may have symptoms of peripheral artery disease, such as leg pain when walking (claudication) or decreased blood pressure in an affected limb.
If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your kidneys, you may develop high blood pressure or kidney failure.

Atherosclerosis is a slowly worsening disease that may begin as early as childhood. The exact cause is unknown. It may start with damage or injury to the inner layer of an artery. The damage may be caused by:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in the blood
Smoking or chewing tobacco
Diabetes
Insulin resistance
Obesity
Inflammation from an unknown cause or from diseases such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease

Hardening of the arteries occurs over time. Aging is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Other things that may increase the risk of atherosclerosis include:

A family history of early heart disease
An unhealthy diet
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation
Lack of exercise
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Smoking and other tobacco use

Prevention

The same healthy lifestyle changes recommended to treat atherosclerosis also help prevent it. These lifestyle changes can help keep the arteries healthy: