Monitoring the health vitals regularly to assess how well the body is functioning, and detect­ing early signs of illness, are im­portant lifestyle habits Ghanaians must imbibe to remain healthy and avoid Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).According to the Laboratory Manager of the Kasoa branch of Patholab Solutions Medical Laboratory (PSML), Mr.

Vic­tor Opuni, the rising number of deaths linked to NCDs in the country makes it critical for individuals to adopt the habit of routine medical checkups.He noted that regular moni­toring of health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and body mass index (BMI) can help minimise the risk of complications or fatal­ities associated with NCDs.Mr Opuni advised a health screening organised by his outfit for residents and traders within the Kasoa Market in the Awutu Senya East District of the Cen­tral Region.Over 200 patrons were screened for various health conditions, including choles­terol to assess the risk of heart disease; fasting blood sugar to diagnose diabetes or prediabetes; and hypertension to detect high blood pressure, often referred to as silent killers.Beneficiaries were also checked for their body mass indices (BMI) to assess obesity risk.The exercise formed part of activities to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of PSML, which has two branches so far, in Ghana.Mr Opuni urged members of the public to prioritise their health by scheduling regular check-ups and adopting healthy lifestyle habits to promote lon­gevity."In the olden days, we knew hypertension and diabetes as among the elderly, but nowadays, because of our way of living, even as young as 12, 15, you can diagnose high blood pressure.We advise that people find time in their tight schedules to have their vitals checked; sugar, pres­sure checked always," he said.The Head of Marketing of the facility, Cynthia Ahiati, advised Ghanaians not to wait until their symptoms got worse before seek­ing medical advice."Don't wait until you get to the worst stage before you go to the hospital.

Make sure at least you walk to the lab in case you're hav­ing funny feelings about yourself and have your vitals checked be­cause that is the basic assessment that tells us something is wrong," she said. BY ABIGAIL ANNOH