Mission trip to Panama: A glimpse at global poverty

Panama is a beautiful country with many disparities. It was estimated in 1995 that 40% of the population lived in poverty. Deaths from cardiovascular disease increased by 2% annually from 1990 to 1994, with hypertension being the leading cause of death for persons aged 60 years or more. I had the opportunity to travel briefly in Panama on a mission trip and found elevated blood pressure to be a major symptom of the clinic participants.