The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) is well-known locally, regionally and nationally for dedicating the entire month of September to heart awareness. Given that Heart Awareness Month is one of its key campaign events, the foundation aims to make a significant impact on heart disease awareness and through the campaign strategy, also aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Yolanda Maartens is joined this Heart Week by the experts from the Hearth and Stroke Foundation of SA (HSFSA).

On 29 September it is World Heart Day (WHD), and as expected, the Foundations’ Heart Awareness Month Campaign culminates on World Heart Day. By embracing this global theme, the HSFSA underscores the need for sustained collaboration and collective action to achieve lasting impact.

Taking a comprehensive look at the Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) statistics pertaining to the mortality and morbidity rates in the South African context, it is alarming that South Africa is still facing a crisis of CVD burden. Statistics South Africa in 2020, highlighted mortality trends, indicating that Diabetes Mellitus, hypertensive disease, cerebrovascular disease and heart disease were marked in the top 10 leading natural causes of death in South Africa. These conditions added up to an estimated 17% of all reported deaths in 2020.

Episode one: What is heart failure? We are joined by registered Nurse Silvia Craucamp, health promotion officer at the HSFSA.

Generally, symptoms of heart failure may include:

• Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down
• Wheezing
• A cough that doesn’t go away or a cough that brings up white or pink mucus with spots of blood
• Swelling in the abdomen, legs, ankles and feet.
• Weight gain from fluid retention
• Fatigue, weakness or dizziness
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Nausea and loss of appetite
• Increased need to urinate at night
• Palpitations

Episode Two: The causes of heart failure; we are joined again by Silvia Craucamp.

When considering the different types of heart failure (HF), the HSFSA notes that HF may be caused by a weakened, damaged or stiffened heart. If the heart is damaged or weakened, the heart chambers may stretch and get bigger, which means that the heart can’t pump the blood out of the heart at the rate it is supposed to. If the main pumping chambers of the heart are stiff or rigid, they can’t fill with enough blood between beats.

The heart is vulnerable to many factors that may lead to the heart muscle being damaged, weakened or rigid. These risk factors include advancing age, sex, inherited cardiomyopathies, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, certain infections, consumption of alcohol, drugs or tobacco products and selected chemotherapy medicines.

Episode three: Management of heart failure and living with heart failure; We are joined by Health Promotion and Health Risk Assessment Programme Team Leader at the HSFSA, Sister Juandre Watson.

When treating and managing heart failure the goal is to help patients live longer, prevent hospital admissions, decrease symptoms and improve quality of life. Heart failure is to a large extent not curable but manageable. It is, however, possible that in the event that a disease or condition that has led to heart failure is treated, like valvular disorders, it may reverse the heart failure, depending on the damage that has already been sustained. Management of heart failure may include: medication, devices, surgery, behaviour modifications, management and monitoring.

Episode four: Diabetes type 2 and other risk factors for heart failure; We are joined by Nutrition Science Team Leader at the HSFSA, Shonisani Nephalama.

Heart Failure (HF) is a common complication of diabetes, with a prevalence of between 9% to 22% in individuals with diabetes, especially in those over 60 years old and increasing incidence rates. The prevalence of diabetes has risen by 30% globally in the past decade, increasing the burden of HF on the healthcare system. HF may develop in individuals with diabetes even without hypertension, coronary heart disease, or valvular heart disease, making it a major cardiovascular complication in this vulnerable population.

Episode five: Who is the Heart and Stroke Foundation of SA and why Heart Awareness is more important than ever before; CEO of the HSFSA Prof. Pamela Naidoo wraps up Heart Week and also shares her excitement for World Heart Day on 29 September 2024.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) plays a leading role in the fight against preventable heart disease and stroke, with the aim of seeing fewer people in South Africa suffer premature deaths and disabilities. The HSFSA, established in 1980, is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation which relies on external funding to sustain the work it carries out.

The HSFSA aims to reduce the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in South Africa and ultimately on the health care system of South Africa. Their mission is to empower people in South Africa to adopt healthy lifestyles, make healthy choices easier, seek appropriate care and encourage prevention.