Health-e News – World Heart Day: learning to survive heart attacks

Heart and Stroke Foundation
World Heart Day, which happens every year on 29 September, will see iconic landmarks turned red in honour of the occasion with Table Mountain and the Wheel at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town being lit up on Friday night.

The day was created and led by the World Heart Federation (WHF) as an event designed to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the world’s biggest killer.

It is seen as a time to promote a heart-healthy lifestyle and improve health globally by encouraging people to make lifestyle changes and be good to their hearts.

The event has the backing of several high-level experts, who are keen to lend their voices to the cause.

Professor Karen Sliwa, Director of the Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa and President-Elect of the World Heart Federation, said “World Heart Day is our chance to shine a light on the world’s biggest killer and work together to improve heart health. This includes highlighting the need for better care of patients with rheumatic heart disease and cardiac disease associated with pregnancy.”

Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, said “Around the world 1 in 10 people die prematurely from cardiovascular disease but the power to change this is in our hands. Making small lifestyle changes such as eating more fruit and vegetables, keeping active, reducing alcohol consumption and stopping smoking can save lives.”

President of the South African Heart Association, Professor Liesl Zuhlke – who is also Director of the Children’s Heart Disease Research Unit and a paediatric cardiologist, said “We are urging people to ‘share the power’ this World Heart Day by sharing healthy heart tips with friends and family and inspire people everywhere to be healthier. Our focus is on families and communities as children can have heart disease too and a healthy heart starts in childhood.”

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in South Africa. Heart disease, in particular, features prominently among the conditions that contributed to a significant rise in deaths from non-communicable diseases in 2015, according to Statistics South Africa.

All of them agree that neither heart attacks nor death as the result of a heart attack are inevitable and can be avoided by understanding and managing the risk factors involved.

It is possible for a person who suffers a heart attack to regain good health by getting the right treatment fast.

Medical organisations are using World Heart Day to raise awareness and highlight the seriousness of heart disease for all sections of South Africa’s population and help people take heart health into their own hands.

“We want every South African to understand the link between lifestyle and cardiovascular disease,” said Dr Shanil Naidoo, Medical Director of Boehringer Ingelheim. “Healthy lifestyle choices significantly decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes and have the further benefit of improving an individual’s quality of life.”

Spot the risks and neutralise them

A heart attack occurs when an artery carrying oxygen to the heart becomes blocked. The likelihood of a blockage increases when arteries are narrowed by fatty cholesterol deposits or plaque – a condition referred to as coronary artery disease.

Risk factors for the condition include smoking, an unhealthy diet, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease.

Giving up smoking, modifying poor diets and increased exercise are all good solutions along with the critical management of diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol under medical supervision.

“Many South Africans have uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol,” said Dr Naidoo.

A 2014 study showed that 78% of South Africans over 50 years had hypertension, with less than half of them being diagnosed and less than 7% having it under control.

“These individuals are placing themselves at an even higher risk of having heart attacks or strokes,” cautioned Naidoo.

“While we cannot change our genetics or age, it is important to understand that we need to be disciplined about lifestyles choices which include regular medical check-ups.”

SOME FACT BOXES:

Recognising a heart attack:

Speed of reaction is absolutely critical to surviving a heart attack and regaining good health. In some cases, a heart attack causes virtually instant death. But in many cases survival and recovery are perfectly possible – provided you know what to do and get to work instantly.

What does a heart attack feel like?

  • There is heavy pressure, tightness, unusual discomfort or crushing pain in the centre of the chest.
  • This may spread to the shoulders, arms, neck or jaw.
  • It may last more than 15 minutes and could stop or weaken and then return.
  • This may be accompanied by sweating, nausea, faintness or shortness of breath.
  • The pulse could be rapid or weak.

Important things to note

  • Women may have different symptoms to men, with more pronounced nausea, dizziness and anxiety.
  • A heart attack can be silent and produce no signs or symptoms.
  • A sharp stabbing pain in the left side of the chest is usually not heart pain.

What to do if you experience or witness a heart attack

  • If unexplained chest pain lasts for more than a few minutes, move quickly. Do not try and figure out the cause, rather call an ambulance and state that you are dealing with a suspected heart attack.
  • If the ambulance is delayed, access private transport to get to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. On arrival, advise the staff this is a suspected heart attack.
  • If you have been trained and you are near a person who loses consciousness due to these symptoms, perform chest compressions at a rate of about 100 per minute.

Five Tips to staying healthy and lowering your NCD risk.

  1. Reduce your salt intake.

Why is a high salt intake so bad for you? A high intake of salt puts you a twice the risk of developing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Salt is an important part of your diet, but as with all things in moderation. Salt or sodium regulates the water content in your body, as well as send electrical information in the nervous system. The WHO recommends a daily intake of 5g and (teaspoon per day). South Africans on average consume twice that per day.

salt

  1. Eat a healthier meal.

Each time you have a meal do you take stock of what makes up your plate. You are what you eat. This will help to promote a healthy body and life style. Eating better can give you more energy and reduce risks of NCDs in the long term.

cansa

  1. Cut unhealthy habits

There are many unhealthy habits that are extremely bad for your health and directly related to increasing your NCDs risks. Smoking is one of the worst things you could do for your health. Smoking increases your risk of heart problems, increased blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and breathing problems. This also includes hookahs or bubbly’s.

Reduce your alcohol intake. Not drinking is the best possible health choice. The smartest choice you can make is to drink responsibly and not to use it in excess.

smoke

  1. Get physical

Get active and get exercising. Data suggests that 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on five or more days per week helps to prevent weight gain and obesity.  Get your heart pumping, and your breathing up. Not only will you feel better – you will improve your health. The positive gains include mental health, stronger heart, healthier lungs, better blood flow, and weight loss. That final one is most likely the biggest motivator to most though you can prolong your life and reduce your risk as well.

run

  1. Reduce Sugar Intake

Everything these days seems to have sugar added to it. Sugar, like salt, is needed in your body but in moderation and extremely bad for you in excess. High sugar intake is directly linked to weight gain and this leads to type 2 diabetes and heart problems. There are good sugars like those found in natural fruits and vegetables, which are totally fine for the body. Then there are the bad sugars – the added in sugars found in many processed foods and sweetened drinks. Watch how much sugar you take in each day. The WHO suggests 25g (6 teaspoons) per day for a healthy normal weight adult. A can of your favourite soft drink contains around 9 teaspoons in a 340ml can.

drink