Heart disease is increasing in South Africa and is more common among men than in women.
South Africans are noted for obesity and weight issues, which can be major contributing factors for heart disease. September is National Heart Awareness Month and is dedicated to create awareness on good health of the heart.
Knowing your heart health status enables you to take necessary measures to prevent heart disease or heart attacks. The human heart is one of the most important organs in your body. If you don’t take care of it properly, it could cost you your life.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. If you are overweight, you have a higher risk of having high blood pressure.
However, many people are not even aware that they have hypertension. By controlling your blood pressure you’ll be saving your heart.
High blood cholesterol can lead to a build up of fatty material in the walls of arteries, reducing the blood supply to the heart or brain, thereby increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Blood cholesterol is influenced by the amount of fat in your diet. Eating fried and fatty foods leads to high cholesterol levels.
Diabetes also increases your risk of having heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Diabetics often have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and are overweight, which increases their risk even more.
But if you manage your diabetes you can prevent heart attacks and strokes. Heart attack is when the heart muscle is left without oxygen, causing death of the muscle and leaving the heart unable to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Warning signs of a heart attack:
– Heavy pressure, tightness, or pain in the centre of the chest. This may spread to the shoulders, arms, neck or jaw and last for a few minutes.
– Shortness of breath.
– Cold sweats, light-headedness or nausea.
Phone for an ambulance immediately if you suspect a heart attack.
There are many ways to take care of your heart and to keep it healthy. Eating the right food is a key factor. It’s important to stick to food that is low in fat, cholesterol and salt. High fibre food is also great for your heart, and fruit and vegetables make up a big part of a healthy diet.
