Deaths due to cardiovascular disease are on the rise in South Africa.
The revelation comes after a new study by researchers in the Human Molecular Biology Unit in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Focusing on the South African population, the study discovered that men and women of European descent over the age of 50 were the most vulnerable to the development of atherosclerosis, the most common disorder associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
Dr Walter Janse van Rensburg, senior lecturer and principal researcher, said nearly half of men and more than a third women in this group had visible signs of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries of the heart.
Janse van Rensburg said that the study had been conceptualised during 2020’s Covid-19 pandemic, due to reports of excessive blood clots associated with both acute Covid-19 infection and some of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
He said limited data existed in our region regarding the other underlying causes for blood clot formation, such as atherosclerotic plaque rupture.
The data was collected during 2021 out of more than 10 000 case files spanning over ten years.
“The study is still ongoing. Atherosclerosis remains a major risk factor for CVD, and is thus believed to be a good indicator of the CVD profile in a population – yet little is known on its prevalence in sub-Saharan African populations,” said Janse van Rensburg.
“We aimed to determine the prevalence of atherosclerosis in a diverse South African population as found in post-mortem investigations.
“A retrospective file audit was done on 10 240 forensic post-mortem reports done at a forensic pathology mortuary in South Africa over ten years,” Janse van Rensburg explained.
According to him, cardiovascular diseases were reportedly the leading cause of mortality worldwide.
According to the latest report from Statistics South Africa, diseases of the circulatory system account for nearly a fifth of all deaths in South Africa.
Managing factors associated with a higher risk for atherosclerosis – such as the use of tobacco, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, obesity, HIV infection and diabetes – would be key in assisting prevention.
“Our population’s socioeconomic status is not the only driving force behind CVD,” said Janse van Rensburg.
He pointed out that studies such as this were vital in raising public awareness regarding risks associated with the lifestyle choices people make.
