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22 January 2007
Cardiovascular disease causes around 17.5 million deaths, representing approximately one-third of all deaths occurring in the world each year.
Statistics show that 5.5 million South Africans were living with HIV in 2005, with 3.1 million AIDS related deaths in the same year - a horrific statistic and an enormous strain on South Africa. Although there is intense research worldwide, there is as yet, no cure.
Following closely behind these shocking statistics, is heart disease with one in three men and one in four women currently being affected. The difference is that while there is widespread recognition of AIDS as a killer, heart disease is viewed as something that happens to other people in other societies. And above all heart disease is so easily preventable.
Just why is it growing so quickly? One of the reasons is that in the black community, heart disease is seen as a 'rich white man's disease'. "Even though cardiac illness has become such a threat within the black community it's still traditionally seen as an illness that won't affect them", explains Shân Biesman-Simons, Director of Nutrition and Education at the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA. 'Strokes in particular are a big problem within the black community, with black people having a genetic disposition to high blood pressure. Add to this urbanisation and changes in lifestyle, such as lack of exercise and junk food, and the risk increases enormously," she adds.
In January 2006 The Soweto Cardiovascular Research Heart Unit (Socru) was set up at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto to co-ordinate research into cardiovascular disease in Soweto. "There is an urgent need to research this rapidly growing illness in our black communities. The unit's mission is to do research in particular in cardiovascular diseases that are common in Southern Africa because little research is done in that area," says the unit's director, Professor Karen Sliwa. "Conditions that are specific to Southern Africa need to be studied in our local environment."
With education of heart disease the obvious factor to making a difference, the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA has launched its Challenge Complacency Campaign to make all South Africans sit up and look at their health.
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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