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00:13While the Ministry of Health wants everyone to be merry and enjoy their Christmas this
00:18season, they also want us to be smart while doing so, especially for persons with non-communicable
00:24diseases.
00:26According to Dr. Maria Clapperton, Director of the Non-Communicable Disease Unit, NCDs
00:31continue to be a major health concern in the Caribbean and by extension, the world.
00:36NCDs are diabetes, cardiovascular disease like heart attack and strokes, cancer and
00:42respiratory diseases.
00:43She says people with NCDs need to be extremely careful during the Christmas season.
00:49We want everyone to enjoy their holiday season.
00:53Of course eat, drink, be merry, spend time with your family, but we're just here to
00:59remind you, especially persons with non-communicable diseases, chronic conditions that are on medication,
01:07to continue to take your medication and enjoy the festivities in moderation.
01:13Dr. Clapperton says the evidence is clear and it shows that during the holiday season
01:19people overindulge, as seen in the new year when there's an influx at the hospitals.
01:24What we do tend to see though is after the holiday season, as Ms. Campbell mentioned,
01:29we do see a lot of persons then coming in with elevated blood pressures, elevated blood
01:36sugars because they may have neglected to take their medication, missed their doctor's
01:41appointment, have not filled their prescriptions.
01:46Dr. Shoma Alexander-Campbell, a National Nursing Administrator, says NCDs affect everyone
01:53and it is extremely important to eat healthy during the season.
01:57Traditionally, non-communicable diseases affect more the elderly, 50, 55, but we are seeing
02:05some of the younger individuals who are also having diabetes as well.
02:12So those are the populations that we're really speaking to.
02:15I am Charlotte Kistow with tonight's Health Watch.
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