The V&A Waterfront’s Amphitheatre will be lit up in red on Saturday September 29 for World Heart Day, as a culmination of Heart Awareness Month, marked annually in September.

Themed “Use Heart for Action", the event, hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa (HSFSA), aims to encourage people to take responsibility for their heart health, and also form part of advocacy efforts for stronger health policies and initiatives to reduce the burden of disease.

It also allows for the partnership of organisations to join hands in efforts to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease by encouraging people to adopt healthy behaviours and seek appropriate care early in the onset of disease, and over the life course.

According to Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the HSFSA, the foundation will have a variety of initiatives on the day, including talks from many literary professors from UCT; a variety act from a leading fitness entity, and a variety-driven chef segment for healthier food choices facilitated and hosted by celebrity chef Jenny Morris.

A few patients affected by cardiovascular disease will also share their experiences and speak about management of the diseases.

This Heart Awareness Month, heart and associated risk factors was the focus of the HSFSA's campaign.

A statement from the HSFSA said Professor Naidoo, together with stakeholders and the foundation's key donors found that the South African public does not fully understand the complexity of cardiovascular disease, especially with respect to the different types of conditions within the heart disease cluster.

Heart failure is but one example of many cardiac conditions, however, it is under-diagnosed and under-reported.

"Often, one will not experience symptoms of heart disease for a long while until it becomes acute. It is essential, therefore, that individuals over the age of 45 years, with a family history of cardiovascular disease, need to have their annual medical examination.“

During Heart Awareness Month, the foundation highlighted many themes related to heart failure, including symptoms, causes, management and living with heart failure. They also created awareness around diabetes type 2 and other risk factors for heart failure.

The foundation had run a series of campaigns during Heart Awareness Month in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and Gauteng.

In the Western Cape, the prevalence of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes type 2, the drivers of heart disease, are fairly high. Moreover, tobacco smoking rates among women are also high which adds to the risk of suffering heart disease, said Prof Naidoo.

“It is important to bear in mind that there are two clusters of risk factors for cardio-vascular disease. These include familial or genetic factors, and behavioural risk factors.”

She said early detection of cardiovascular disease is crucial, and can be achieved through regular health screenings, understanding family history, and paying attention to symptoms.

To avoid cardiovascular disease, maintain a heart-healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, avoid smoking and alcohol consumption, get enough sleep, and manage stress through healthy methods like exercise, meditation, or yoga.

Self-management combined with medical intervention is the ideal way to prevent CVD, as well as manage your condition if you have been diagnosed.

On World Heart Day, various landmarks, nationally and globally will be lit red. In Cape Town, these will include the national franchise of Life Healthcare Group, the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre as well as the “Cape Town” entry point sign at the Waterfront; Red Berry Farm in George; Canal Walk Mall and Radisson Red.

World Heart Day will take place from 10am until 2pm at the Waterfront’s Amphitheatre. For more information, call the HSFSA at 021 422 1586.

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World Heart Day at Waterfront