THE Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), University of Ilorin, Prof. Yisa Fakunle has urged Nigerians to refrain from alcohol intake in order to save their liver a major organ of the body, which, according to him, remains the pivot life in a man.

He was advocating for total abstinence from the drinks. Fakunle, a professor of Medicine in the University and Consultant Gastroenterologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, (UITH) gave this advice during the fifth Health Seminar of the University.

In a lecture, entitled: "Life Depends on the Liver," Fakunle said the liver plays important functions in the body, which include, "metabolism of substrates, hormone metabolism and digestive functions." Besides, he stated that liver cancer, which is a malignant tumour that grows on the surface or inside the liver, remain one of the diseases that affects the liver and prevents it from functioning, as it should.

Fakunle categorised the causes of liver cancer into three, toxins, viruses and genetic, explaining that the first two causes are within the control of man.

He submitted that a moderated lifestyle that encourages non-intake of alcohol, cigarette, harmful drugs, and faithfulness to one's spouse could help prevent the first two causes of liver cancer.  He stressed that alcohol in particular does not do the liver any good and warned those engaging in it to desist.

To prevent liver diseases, Fakunle proffered certain measures including yearly physical examinations, liver tests, ultrasound, HBV, HCV, HDV screening and alpha-fetoprotein screening.

He said, "I pray that God gives us strength of character to stop alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, promiscuity and homosexuality, that God gives us the serenity of spirit to accept the consequences of our actions and that God gives us the courage to check our HBV, HCV, HDV (and HIV!) Status so we can institute corrective measures to prevent transmission.".

In his own lecture at the Seminar, Dr. Olajide Agbede of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, defined hepatitis as "an inflammation of the liver caused by infectious agents or precipitated by chemical substances harmful to the liver cells such as alcohol and some drugs."

He noted that hepatitis reduces the liver's ability to perform life-preserving functions, including detoxification of the blood, storing blood sugar and converting it to usable energy forms, and producing many proteins necessary for life.

Agbede disclosed that people who are at the risk of being infected include, children in Day-Care centres, people living in crowded conditions, people living in heavily populated and unsanitary conditions, residents in refugee camps, people practicing oral and anal sex, tourists, diplomatic corps, and visitors to endemic areas.

Others, who might be at risk, according to Agbede, are those, who have blood and blood products transfusion, organ transplantation (before 1992), Haemodialisis, before 1990, healthcare and occupational exposure (needle-stick injuries), intranasal drug use, tattooing and body piercing and sexual contact.

Among the preventive measures of hepatitis that Agbede suggested are good and effective HAV vaccine, good hygiene practice, more efficacious treatment, and mass immunisation programmes.

The Provost, College of Medicine of University of Ilorin, Prof. Ayo Omotosho has canvassed total abstinence from fast food as a veritable panacea to cardiac arrest.

Omotosho, a renowned cardiologist in a chat with The Guardian in Ilorin, identified other risk factors of sudden death as, coronary heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus, excessive intake of alcohol, cigarette smoking, sedentary life style, and family history of occurrence of sudden death.

According to him, "occurrence of sudden death is not a new phenomenon in our society, and cannot also be localised. The fact of it is that we are just becoming more aware of it. Sudden death results from cardio vascular pathology conditions that have to do with the heart and the blood vessels."

The provost said cardiac arrest could also be viewed as sudden death that occurs outside trauma related cases, especially when such a person was not expected to die of such a disease whether or not diagnosed within 24 hours.

For him lipid rich diets have the propensity to increase the cholesterol level. He advised those with family history of sudden death to visit their doctors, as they remain prone to cardiac arrest. Besides, he warned those in the habit of making the heart "to electrically misbehave" by way of ingesting into their systems stimulants like cocaine or heroin, noting that such a way of life could trigger off cardiac arrest.

He added, "we should shun the eating and social habits of the Western World, they are parts of the risk factors of the sudden death. We should replace such food with our traditional food. We should avoid the rat race that age is over we should have enough time to rest.

A male is more prone to developing pulmonary heart disease than a woman. A woman can only develop this at certain age of life. Again we should stop the ingestion of stimulant especially cocaine, leading to disturbance of the rhythm of the heart or causing Dangerous Cardiac Arrhythmias. "

He urged Nigerians to exercise regularly at least three to four times per week. Besides, he encouraged them to eat more vegetable while those already diagnosed of the causative diseases should see their doctors frequently and should also take their pills as recommended by their doctors.

Omotosho, while viewing cardiac arrest as a non- remedied condition said it should better be prevented than allowing it to occur. He added, "people should walk for at least 30 minutes three times daily. It is not a stressful type of exercise. People can swim as well. However, those engaged in strenuous exercise must at first see their doctors before doing so."