Make heart health a priority

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in South Africa.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 225 South Africans die from heart disease every day, while 10 people suffer a stroke every hour.

Lifestyle plays a significant role, and there are many risk factors we can control.

However, heart disease is increasingly common, and when it does occur, it can be a costly experience from a medical perspective.

While heart problems are covered as Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs), the voluntary use of a non-designated service provider can result in a shortfall, and these are often sizeable.

Gap cover can help save your pocket when medical help is necessary to save your life.

The heart of the problem
There are many types of heart disease, which require different treatment and have different risks and outcomes.

These include venous thromboembolism, peripheral artery disease, cardiomyopathy, angina, atherosclerosis, heart valve disease, Kawasaki disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, heart failure, heart attack and ischemic heart disease.

Congenital heart disease is something children are born with and nothing can be done to prevent it.

But, while some risk factors are out of our control, including age, gender, genetics and family history or heart disease, the vast majority of heart diseases and strokes (up to 80%) can be prevented.

It is essential to control risk factors around lifestyle, such as stress, smoking, nutrition, weight, cholesterol and blood pressure, and by managing other diseases such as diabetes.

Screening and monitoring these factors can help identify problems early on, such as high cholesterol, so they can be addressed before they can cause severe disease.