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22 January 2007
Globally heart disease is the leading cause of death and since 1990, more people have died from coronary heart disease than any other cause.
This month the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA is on a mission to ensure that South Africans are thinking about the health of their hearts. They also need to be aware that even after having a conventional screening, they may fall through 'the gap'. This is the genetic risk group, which in South Africa includes the Afrikaans, Jewish and Indian communities in particular, as well as anyone with a family history of cardiac illness.
Shân Biesman-Simons, Director of Nutrition and Education at the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA, comments, "The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA encourages everyone to become aware of his or her individual risk for heart disease. Factors affecting risk include lifestyle, medical conditions and, of course, genetic predisposition. The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA believes genetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool. This is because many people do not fall into the 'at risk' category after conventional screenings, and it's only as a result of specific genetic testing that they realise the importance of making the appropriate lifestyle modifications in order to avoid becoming a statistic."
The good news is that this condition, known as familial hypercholesterolaemia, can be easily treated with medication - but you can't get treated if you haven't been diagnosed...
The fact that currently one in three men and one in four women are likely to die of heart disease in South Africa is bad enough, but what's really shocking is that it's easily preventable. With healthy eating and exercise, people don't have to suffer from heart disease - they can choose to live life the heart healthy way.
We have cardiologists and experts in this field ready to be interviewed and give any information needed to get this message across to your readers, as well as ordinary South Africans who have suffered from heart disease and are happy to share their stories.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michelle Kearney,
Project Director: Communications & Public Relations,
The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
+27-21-447 4222 -
email: michelle@heartfoundation.co.za
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