South Africa must count the high human, social and economic cost of strokes – Heart and Stroke Foundation SA

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October is Stroke Awareness Month and 29 October is World Stroke Day

In South Africa an average of 10 adults suffer from a stroke every hour and 225 people die from either heart disease or a stroke every day.  The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) warns this Stroke Awareness Month that we need to remember the high burden of heart disease and strokes on our citizens. 

October is highlighted by the HSFSA as Stroke Awareness Month, Stroke Week runs from 28 October to 3 November globally, and 29 October is World Stroke Day.

“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. Obesity is a major contributing factor to all of 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,” says Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“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.” 

Professor Naidoo shares a few cautionary statistics: 

One in three South African adults has hypertension (high blood pressure), which heightens the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease.In South Africa, strokes and heart disease are responsible for one in six deaths, but about 80% of that can be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices.Sixty percent of women and 31% of men in South Africa are overweight or obese. 

As a partner to the National Department of Health, HSFSA has made it their mission to bring these numbers down by influencing policy and legislative changes. HSFSA advocates for reducing salt, sugar and “bad fats” in processed foods, with front-pack labelling, stopping tobacco use and encouraging responsible drinking. 

International data on high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease

Non-communicable diseases, which include strokes, diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and chronic respiratory disease are the leading cause of death 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 48-55% of all men over 25 and 43-50% 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,” says Professor Naidoo. 

Director of the SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Sciences/PRICELESS at WITS University School of Public Health, Professor Karen Hofman, 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 Heart and Stroke Foundation’s iconic red and white heart mark on over 450 consumer products in South Africa, which provides science-backed guidance for healthy food choices. 

Counting the cost of South Africa’s unhealthy society

Professor Hofman says South Africa loses an estimated R30-R50 billion in direct health costs every year. 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 South Africa and many of these same individuals are now developing obesity related conditions, says Professor Hofman. 

“Cardiovascular disease, which leads to stroke, is the leading cause of premature death and disability in the non-communicable diseases cluster in South Africa. 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,” says Professor Hofman. 

“If you know the cause of your obesity and how to manage it, you also significantly lower your chances of living with other comorbidities such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and cancer,” says Professor Naidoo.

Hypertension, in turn, heightens the risk of stroke, ischaemic heart disease, renal insufficiency and dementia, but thankfully it is readily treatable, says Professor Naidoo.

Spotting the risk of stroke

A stroke happens when the blood supply to a 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. If you spot face drooping, a weak arm, and speech difficulties, get the person to the hospital immediately, this is easily identified using the FAST acronym,” says Professor Naidoo. 

South Africans can also look out for the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s mobile clinics or visit their 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: www.world-stroke.org/strokespotter.

About the Heart & Stroke Foundation SA

The HSFSA’smission is to halt the rise of premature deaths through cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in South Africa and promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Its core focus areas are to: 

Health Awareness EventsEndorsementsWorkplace WellnessCommunity Health Risk AssessmentsSchool Health Promotion InitiativeSupport

Follow their 42 stories by visiting www.heartfoundation.co.za