Work with heart

Cardiovascular disease is claiming more and more South African lives annually. This even though minor lifestyle adjustments can prevent you from becoming another cardiovascular related death. This is why the Heart and Stroke Foundation this year again urges South Africans to wake up to the fact that they should assess their risk of heart disease by taking a good look at their diet and lifestyle.

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's largest killers, claiming a shocking 17,5 million lives a year. September is National Heart Awareness Month with World Heart Day being celebrated on 27 September 2009. This year World Heart Day has chosen the slogan "Work with Heart" and is calling on people to take action in the workplace to improve health and productivity in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

According to the World Heart Federation, 80 percent of premature deaths due to heart disease and stoke could be avoided by controlling the main risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members - and future members - on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to inform you how you can keep your heart healthy by "working with heart".

What causes Cardiovascular diseases?

Heart attacks and strokes are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain. This is mostly due to the build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the bloods vessels that supply the heart or brain. As this build-up increases, the vessels become narrower and less flexible. This loss of flexibility is also referred to as hardening of the arteries. These vessels are now more likely to become blocked by blood clots and suffer damage because they cannot supply blood to the heart and brain.

Some of the causes of heart disease and stroke include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, being overweight and a lack of exercise.

What are the common symptoms of cardiovascular diseases?

Unfortunately there are often no symptoms and a heart attack or stroke may be the first warning of underlying disease. Symptoms when suffering a heart attack or a stroke include:

• Pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest, and pain or discomfort in the arms, the left shoulder, elbows, jaw or back. You may also experience difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, feel sick or vomit, feel light-headed or faint, break into a cold sweat and become pale.
• Women are more likely to have shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and back or jaw pain.
•  The most common symptom of a stroke is sudden weakness of the face, arm or leg, often on one side of the body. Other symptoms can include the sudden onset of numbness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking, difficulty seeing with one or both eyes, difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance and coordination, severe headache with no known cause and fainting or unconsciousness.

If you experience the above symptoms, you should seek medical care as heart attacks and strokes can occur suddenly and can be fatal if assistance is not sought immediately.

Work with heart:

According to the World Heart Federation, almost 50 percent of those who die from chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, are in their productive years. This makes the workplace a great place to educate people on their risks and offer solutions though wellness programmes. GEMS therefore would like to call on all employers to educate their staff members on cardiovascular diseases.

The onus still rests on each and every individual's shoulder to live a healthy lifestyle. You can begin by taking the following small steps to increase your blood flow:

• Opt for the stairs at work. Avoid the lift. Even this little amount of exercise will increase your blood flow.
• Eat a healthy lunch. Decide every day to make a healthy choice and try to incorporate fruit and vegetables with every meal. The ideal is to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
• Stop tobacco use immediately.
• Limit your salt intake to less than one teaspoon a day.
• Drink as much water as possible during the day. Always keep a glass of water on your desk while you are working.
• If you are prone to snacking during the day, keep healthy snacks like nuts at hand. If a craving hits and you are unprepared, you may just run for the closest chocolate.

GEMS encourages everyone to have their blood pressure checked regularly as high blood pressure has no symptoms but can cause a sudden stroke or heart attack. If you are diabetic, you should control your blood pressure and blood sugar as diabetes increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Also try to exercise for at least 30 minutes daily as this will help you to maintain an ideal body weight.

Although your heart is designed to last you a lifetime, you do need to take care of it and adopt the healthy life-style tips discussed above.

If you have any more questions on cardiovascular diseases, you can phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your families health and well-being. Remember to "work with heart".