Durban — The Department of Health has urged South Africans to go for regular hypertension screenings, as high blood pressure is referred to as a “silent killer” as it does not show symptoms in most cases.
The department said this on World Hypertension Day on Wednesday. The day is dedicated to highlighting the importance of monitoring blood pressure and bringing global awareness to the one billion people living with high blood pressure worldwide.
In a statement, the department said this year’s World Hypertension Day is commemorated under the theme: ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer’. It said hypertension was one of the most serious risk factors for death and was responsible for almost 13% of all deaths globally.
“In South Africa, almost one in three adults lives with high blood pressure, and it is responsible for one in every two strokes, and two in every five heart attacks. Hypertension mainly affects adults, however increased rates of obesity and related risk factors, including diabetes and tobacco use, are resulting in younger persons presenting with hypertension,” read the statement.
Furthermore, it said that uncontrolled high blood pressure raised the risk of heart disease and stroke, which were leading causes of death and disability.
On the other hand, the department, supported by its stakeholders in the sector, is also observing Salt Awareness Week from May 15 to 21 to raise awareness about the harmful practice of excessive salt consumption. The department also added that the relationship between salt and high blood pressure had been well documented since high levels of salt intake were linked to hypertension. Which in turn was one of the causes of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease, among others. High salt intake had also been linked to osteoporosis, kidney stones and stomach cancer.
“South Africa is the first country globally to develop comprehensive, mandatory legislation to reduce sodium levels across a wide range of processed food categories, which involved the co-operation of many food industry members. While the country’s salt reduction approach has inspired the world, much more needs to be done to reduce salt intake and to encourage the food industry to reduce levels of salt in food,” said the department.
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