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20 September 2021, Johannesburg – Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death. The disorders, which include heart disease and strokes, claim 18.6 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organization. In South Africa, CVDs are among the top 10 causes of death and each day over 200 people die from heart attacks and stroke. Death rates for these and other non-communicable conditions are now higher than those of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined.
As Heart Awareness Month comes to an end, Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, South African Heart Association, Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society of Southern Africa and a group of medical experts have launched Know Your Risk, Treat Your Numbers, a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of high cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease and strokes. The campaign encourages people to prevent high cholesterol and manage it by:
With emerging evidence indicating that CVD patients have an increased risk of severe complications and death from COVID-19, preventing cardiovascular diseases and its risk factors has become more urgent than ever.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation was already grappling with a dangerous combination of many life-threatening epidemics. The increasing rate of heart disease and strokes over the years and risk of patients having worse COVID-19 outcomes, indicates that we have lot of work to do in combat the problem,” said Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Multiple risk factors contribute to high rates of CVDs including poor diet, physical inactivity and medical conditions like diabetes. High cholesterol, also referred to as low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, is also a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes.
Although 1 in 3 people in South Africa are living with high cholesterol, it remains underdiagnosed. Known as a silent killer, only 4.2% of adults are aware they have high blood cholesterol.
“The most effective strategy for tackling high cholesterol is for patients to establish their risk, get tested and start treatment as early as possible. As doctors and health advocates, we must intensify our commitment to ensuring that patients at risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and strokes get adequate support to manage their conditions,” said Dr Blanche Cupido, President of South Africa Heart Association.
However national cholesterol screening and treatment guidelines are lagging behind international best-practice which delays diagnosis and patient care. Treatment guidelines published by a group of medical experts recommend early diagnosis of high cholesterol and rapid initiation to cholesterol lowering medication, particularly for patients with a genetic form of high cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolemia or FH.
An early diagnosis changed the course of Warren Petterson’s life. He found out he had high cholesterol in his early twenties and since then, he’s taken control of his condition by taking the right medication and living a healthy lifestyle.
Fortunately, he has never had a heart attack or stroke. However, his experience would have been different if his diagnosis was delayed. His father was in his thirties when he died from a heart attack.
“Our blood vessels can only handle a certain amount of cholesterol build-up over time so if it’s high from a young age it’s dangerous to delay treatment,” said Mr Petterson. “If you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease like I do, get tested. If you have high cholesterol, don’t be scared. You can manage it with the right medication and a healthy lifestyle.”
Know Your Risk, Treat Your Numbers campaign aims to empower other patients like Mr Petterson with information that could potentially save their lives. Campaign resources can be downloaded here.
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