Khayelitsha Health Forum (KHF) has reacted with \u201cshock\u201d to a report from the City of Cape Town concerning the increasing numbers of people infected with hypertension as on Tuesday 17 May World Hypertension Day was remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City is encouraging residents to embrace this year\u2019s theme, Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its report the City says figures from their facilities show a 70% increase in new hypertension cases in the 18-44 age group and a 35% increase for those older than 45. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last 12 months, City facilities reported 2 241 new cases of hypertension in the 18-44 age group compared to 1 320 in the preceding year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 45 plus age group, there are 1 875 new cases compared to 1 385 the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
KHF chair Mzanywa Ndibongo said more surprising was that young people were diagnosed with hypertension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis all boils down to how we eat and lack of education about healthy eating habits in our communities. The Department of Health needs to roll out education programmes about the dangers of unhealthy food and the importance of prioritising eating vegetables and fruits,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ndibongo said as community leaders they have the responsibility of knocking on the department\u2019s doors to ensure such programmes are rolled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe always say children are the leaders of tomorrow, but how will that be if they are killed by the unhealthy food they eat? We need programmes in schools that tackle this, so that when children grow up they know the general importance of healthy eating,\u201d said Ndibongo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patricia van der Ross, City\u2019s mayco member for community services and health, said: \u201cHypertension is often referred to as a silent killer and global statistics show that worldwide, less than 50% of adults with hypertension are on treatment with antihypertensive medication, or were aware that they had high blood pressure. By highlighting this treatable disease, we want to provide information on prevention, detection and treatment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van der Ross said this year\u2019s theme is focusing on combatting low awareness rates worldwide, especially in low to middle income areas, and accurate blood pressure measurement methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hypertension is defined as a reading of 140\/90 or higher. It generally has no symptoms but can strike quite unexpectedly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apart from the risks of heart attack and stroke, uncontrolled high blood pressure can also lead to heart failure, kidney failure, visual impairment and blindness and peripheral vascular disease, which can cause gangrene and lead to amputation of limbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile it is incredibly frightening, there are ways to reduce your risk of hypertension, and ways to manage the condition if you do have it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle by being physically active on a regular basis, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing your salt intake (to less than 5 g daily), avoiding tobacco use, reducing alcohol consumption, eating more vegetables and fruit, limiting the intake of foods high in saturated fats and eliminating or reducing trans fats in your diet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van der Ross said in addition to lifestyle modification, people should also have regular blood pressure screening, manage their other medical conditions and most importantly, take their medication as prescribed to prevent complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said all City clinics offer routine blood pressure screening at every visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over a three-month period between October last year and January this year, City Health screened 48 287 clients, said Van der Ross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She urged everyone to ensure that their blood pressure is checked at every consultation by a health care provider, or during a visit to a local general practitioner or hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van der Ross said the City also runs a Live Well Challenge programme across all areas in the metropole. The programme teaches communities about healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise. Residents are encouraged to join the programmes at their nearest facility. \u201cCheck your blood pressure today and start the journey towards a longer, healthier life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Khayelitsha Health Forum (KHF) has reacted with \u201cshock\u201d to a report from the City of Cape Town concerning the increasing numbers of people infected with hypertension as on Tuesday 17 May World Hypertension Day was remembered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":45580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"d3a0244e-db19-45f5-8ed4-7ed47e2dc98a","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Mzwanele Mkalipi","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-45578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n