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22 January 2007
Heart disease kills a person every twelve minutes in South Africa. Nearly 80% of deaths occur in low and middle-income countries with a forecast that by 2010 cardiovascular disease will be the leading cause of death, as a consequence of lifestyle changes brought about by industrialisation and urbanisation.
While people once lived a life where walking was their main form of transport and home cooked food was eaten regularly, this has now been replaced by motorised transport, minibus taxis and fast food. Add to this excess alcohol and smoking, and we have serious health problems.
Prof Karen Sliwa-Hähnle of the Department of Cardiology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, is involved in research in heart failure. "Heart failure is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in black South Africans. This places an enormous burden on the health care system in urban areas. Current therapeutic strategies, although providing some benefit, have done little to significantly extend or improve the quality of life of patients with heart failure. From the time of diagnosis, heart failure therefore carries a poor prognosis and is one of the leading causes of a limited quality of life. The principal goal of our research is to identify novel therapeutic strategies in heart failure," explains Sliwa-Hähnle.
"The Department of Cardiology at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has the largest worldwide registry of women affected by this serious condition," she says.
Research also shows the difference in obesity between children who live in urban and rural areas. "Time is running out and in order to make a difference education programmes need to be put in place and as many people as possible reached in as short a time as possible."
For this reason, the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA has launched its Challenge Complacency Campaign to reach all South Africans before it's too late.
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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