Hypertension: A Silent Killer

Hypertension is known as the silent killer since most people do not have any symptoms. In some cases hypertension causes symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations of the heart and nose bleeds. The only way to find out what your blood pressure is, is to measure it using acceptable measuring devices. 

Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and damage to eyesight. If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop weak spots due to high pressure, making them more likely to clog and burst. The pressure in the arteries can also cause blood to leak out into the brain. This can cause a stroke.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA about 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occur daily in South Africa. This means that 10 people will suffer a stroke and five people will have a heart attack every hour.

Worldwide approximately 4 in 10 adults older than 25 years have hypertension. This means that nearly 1 billion people have hypertension. It is estimated that only 50% of these people are aware of their condition and of these only half take action to control their blood pressure. 

In South Africa 1 in 3 adults have hypertension4. This makes South Africa one of the countries with the highest rates of hypertension worldwide.

In the Western Cape Province approximately 1200 new cases of hypertension are diagnosed monthly.  

The Western Cape Government Department of Health (WCDoH) encourages communities to take part in activities that increase fitness and healthy living/eating habits. 

Making small changes for big health benefits: Here are some healthy living tips that you can use to improve your health.

1) Eating a healthy balanced diet:

• Reduce your salt intake to no more than 1 teaspoon (5g) of salt a day. Reduce the salt added to your food during cooking and at the table. Make use of fresh and dried herbs, spices, garlic or lemon juice to add flavour to your food, without adding extra salt or salty seasoning. Foods like packet soups, stock cubes, gravies, cheese, many breakfast cereals, breads, salty snacks, processed meats and fast foods are very high in salt, so should be used sparingly.
• Enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables, and aim to have at least 5 servings a day.
• Choose whole grain and high fibre foods.
• Limit unhealthy saturated and trans fats, found in fatty and processed meats, chicken skin, full-cream dairy products, butter, ghee, cream and hard cheeses, commercially baked goods such as pies, pastries, biscuits and crackers, fast foods and deep-fried potato/slap chips.
• Eat healthier unsaturated fats such as sunflower / canola / olive oil, soft tub margarines, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, avocado or fish. T
• ry to include fatty fish (sardines, pilchards, salmon, mackerel) at least twice a week.
• Eat small, regular meals. 

2) Doing more physical activity: 

• Increasing your level of physical activity does not mean having to join a gym or a sports group! There are lots of physical activities that are free, healthy and could be fun! For example, walking with your family and/or dog, dancing at  home, avoiding lifts and taking the stairs instead, swimming and, gardening. 
• Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate (e.g. fast walking) to vigorous (e.g. jogging) activity at least 4-5 days per week. You can accumulate those 30 minutes in bits of 10 minutes throughout the day.
• Or 150 minutes (2 and a half hours) per week in order to reduce your risk of a number of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. 
• If you would like to achieve a higher level of fitness, or would like to lose weight, then more physical activity is needed to achieve these goals, aiming for 300 minutes (5 hours) per week.

3) Avoiding harmful alcohol use:

• Try to avoid using alcohol, and if you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men.

4) Stopping tobacco use and exposure to tobacco products.

5)  Managing stress and striving for a good night’s sleep.

6) Have your blood pressure and glucose levels checked at least once a year and more often if you have a family history of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Treatment of Hypertension
If Hypertension is detected early it is possible to minimize the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. Individuals who already have hypertension can manage their condition by: 

•    Adopting the healthy behaviours listed above.
•    Monitoring blood pressure at home if feasible.
•    Go for regular check-ups at a health facility.
•    Regularly taking any prescribed medications for lowering blood
     pressure.
 

Click on the link for more questions and answers about Hypertension.

More information on Hypertension
•    Visit the health facility in your area.
•    Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (http://www.heartfoundation.co.za) Health Line: 0860 1 HEART (0860 1 43278) or heart@heartfoundation.co.za.
•    WoW! initiative: wow@westerncape.gov.za