The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) is calling on South Africans to remember the high burden of heart disease and strokes on our citizens this Stroke Awareness Month.
Statistics show an average of 10 adults suffer a stroke every hour and 225 people die from either heart disease or a stroke in South Africa every day. October is highlighted by the HSFSA as Stroke Awareness Month, while Stroke Week runs from Friday 28 October to Thursday 3 November globally, and World Stroke Day is marked today (Saturday 29 October).
“We’d really like to take this opportunity to raise awareness about the risks associated with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and strokes among South Africans,” said Professor Pamela Naidoo, HSFSA CEO.
“Obesity is a major contributing factor to all these medical conditions. It’s a huge burden that has a negative impact on society and the economy, although the good news is that it is preventable through healthier behavioural choices. The reality is that South Africans consume too much sugar, salt, bad fats, alcohol and tobacco and don’t get quality sleep and sufficient exercise. The choices we make may lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”
Naidoo shared a few cautionary statistics from SA:
. One in three adults has hypertension (high-blood pressure), which heightens the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease.
. Strokes and heart disease are responsible for one in six deaths, but about 80% of that can be prevented by lifestyle choices.
. About 60% of women and 31% of men in SA are overweight or obese.
As a partner of the national Department of Health, HSFSA has made it its mission to bring these numbers down by influencing policy and legislative changes. It advocates for reducing salt, sugar and “bad fats” in processed foods, with front-pack labelling, stopping tobacco use and encouraging responsible drinking.
International data
Non-communicable diseases, which include strokes, diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and chronic respiratory disease, are the leading cause of deaths worldwide, according to data from HSFSA.
The data shows that non-communicable diseases account for over 60% of the world’s deaths, 80% of which occur in developing countries. By 2030 these will overtake all other causes of death in Africa.
Globally, high-blood pressure is estimated to be a contributing factor to 12,8% of all deaths, while heart disease-related illnesses cause 17,7 million deaths annually.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, an estimated 48 to 55% of all men over 25 and 43 to 50% of all women over 25 are hypertensive. Between 1980 and 2008, the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension skyrocketed from 600 million to a billion people.
“Increased urbanisation, stress and unhealthy behaviours contribute to hypertension. Structural inequality also impacts low-income people’s access to healthy unprocessed food, safe exercise and quality medical care,” said Naidoo.
Professor Karen Hofman, director of the South African Medical Research Council’s Centre for Health Economics and Decision Sciences at Wits University, believes these systemic health issues call for high-level interventions. “Beyond regulation and taxation, we also need better food labelling, a curb on advertising unhealthy foods to children and strategies to make the healthy choice the easy choice for consumers.”
As a start, consumers can buy better by looking out for the HSFSA iconic red and white heart mark on over 450 consumer products, which provides science-backed guidance for healthy food choices.
Counting the cost of an unhealthy society
SA loses an estimated R30 to R50 billion in direct health costs every year, Hofman added. This refers to public and private spending on heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure through hospitalisation, outpatient care, medication and rehabilitation.
Obesity related diseases are now more common than HIV in SA and many of these same individuals are now developing obesity related conditions, she related.
“Cardiovascular disease, which leads to stroke, is the leading cause of premature death and disability in the non-communicable diseases cluster in SA,” Hofman said. “Obese individuals are at risk medically, but they are also losing out economically, due to lower productivity which leads to lower wages, and increased illness, disability, early retirement and premature mortality. Obesity is a severe and costly problem in SA, but the good news is that it is preventable and reversible.”
Naidoo added: “If you know the cause of your obesity and managing It, you also significantly lower your chances of living with other co-morbidities such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and cancer.”
Hypertension, in turn, heightens the risk of stroke, ischaemic heart disease, renal insufficiency and dementia, but thankfully it is readily treatable, she said.
Spotting the risk of stroke
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted by a clot or a bleed which causes surrounding brain tissue to die. Stroke survivors can be left with disabilities and impairments that affect how they move, speak, think and feel.
“Knowing the signs of stroke is critical. Minutes can save lives, speech, mobility, and independence,” said Naidoo. “If you spot face drooping, a weak arm, and speech difficulties, get the person to hospital immediately. These are easily identified by using the FAST acronym.
South Africans can also look out for the HSFSA’s mobile clinics or visit the website for accurate and helpful information about stroke risk factors, lifestyle changes and how to access the medical support they require.
This World Stroke Day, the World Stroke Organisation invites the public to use their free resources, including their digital toolkit and stroke spotter game at www.world-stroke.org/strokespotter.
