Heart

When measuring blood pressure, you should use on both arms rather than just the one. By doing this, the test can reveal an elevated risk of heart disease or even death.

Overview

Heart disease is the number one killer in South Africa. One in 3 men and 1 in 4 women will have a heart condition before the age of 60. Lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, stress, smoking and an unhealthy diet can lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol which subsequently may cause heart disease and heart attacks. It is important to note that heart attack symptoms in men and women can be very different. Whereas the typical heart attack warning sign for men is central chest discomfort or pain which may spread to the neck, shoulder or jaw, women can have far more subtle symptoms. About 43% of women don't experience chest pain but feel extremely tired, nauseous, dizzy and pain in the abdomen or back.