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22 January 2007
Every 12 minutes someone in South Africa suffers a heart attack. They're not necessarily over 60, overweight or sick, and they're certainly not all male. Right now the health focus in South Africa is on AIDS but what people don't realise is the frightening increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is threatening to become an epidemic.
In the western world it's projected that the number of deaths from CVD will reach 20 million by 2020 and 24 million by 2030. South Africa is no different, with our population suffering as much from this disease of lifestyle as anywhere else. With these figures in mind, the Heart Foundation SA has launched its Challenge Complacency Campaign to make South Africans sit up and take notice of this threat.
"We usually hear from people after they've had a heart attack - we want to reach them before this happens," explains Shân Biesman-Simons, Director of Nutrition and Education of the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA. "People need to know if they are at risk, and a simple blood test will show whether their cholesterol levels are under 5.0 mmol/l (millimoles/litre)."
The aim of the campaign is to ensure that enough people realise that no-one has to die from this illness. Eighty percent of the population's risks can be reduced through a healthy diet and regular exercise and by stopping smoking - not after they've had a scare but before."
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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