If you need another good reason to live in Grahamstown, how about that your risk of having a heart attack is nearly seven times less than if you lived in Gauteng – and nearly five times less than if you lived in the Western Cape?
If you need another good reason to live in Grahamstown, how about that your risk of having a heart attack is nearly seven times less than if you lived in Gauteng – and nearly five times less than if you lived in the Western Cape?
A new study has revealed where in South Africa the risk of having a heart attack is highest.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in SA, after HIV/Aids. Over 78 000 South Africans die each year from heart disease and there are no signs of a decrease in the foreseeable future.
It is well known that SA has one of the highest rates of obesity, smoking and drinking in the world, which are all major contributing factors of cardiovascular disease, but the incidence of CVD also tends to vary based on where you live.
Pharma Dynamics set out to determine people’s probable risk of suffering a heart attack based on where in the country they live. They did so by analysing the number of calls a top emergency response firm – which treats both medical aid and state patients – received for possible heart attacks across the country over a two-year period (May 2014 to April 2016). The study turned up some interesting results.
Based on the number of emergency calls received related to possible heart failures, the Northern region of the Western Cape topped the list with 701 calls, while residents of Xtrata – a small mining town in Mpumalanga – seemed to have a very slim chance of suffering the same fate.
The second most heart-related emergency calls emanated from Vereeniging – arguably the town that boasts the most car dealerships per square metre in the country, which could be telling of the kind of stress car salespeople in the area are under since the global slump in automotive sales.
The risk however drops significantly for those in the Eastern Cape where about 552 emergency calls were logged
Mariska van Aswegen, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, says chronic job stress has a major impact on one’s heart-health and exposes the body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which puts additional strain on the heart.
“Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. High levels of stress could also make other risk factors, such as cholesterol or hypertension worse.”
Overall the most calls originated from the larger metros in the country.
Van Aswegen notes that in general those living in metropolitan areas struggle with chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity and diabetes – all precursors for heart disease.
