Lifestyle Diseases and Coronavirus

May 11, 2020 – As the number of Covid-19 infections moves over 10 000, the health minister Zweli Mkhize has expressed concern about the huge risk group of South Africans suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. In other words, Comorbidities.

The words ‘comorbidity‘ and ‘comorbid conditions,’ are common medical terms. ‘Comorbidity‘ refers to one or more diseases or conditions that occur along with another condition in the same person at the same time. Conditions ‘considered comorbidities‘ are often long-term or chronic conditions such as those mentioned by Zweli Mkhize.

‘This worry,’ Mkhize said, ‘is born of the fact that these are the most common underlying medical conditions of those who have died of Covid-19 to date.’

‘The three that are currently emerging to be the most commonly associated comorbidities are hypertension (or high blood pressure), diabetes and obesity,’ he said. ‘In our country, we have a very significant burden of all these three diseases. These risk factors are important to take into account because they are also serious factors when it comes to the conduct of the Covid-19 infection.’

Two years ago the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the Medical Research Council cautioned that chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are becoming the biggest threat to South Africans’ health. The Council described the problem of these non-communicable diseases as an ’emerging epidemic.’

Bonitas Medical Fund explains why you need to keep your finger on the pulse of your wellness numbers.

1. Weight and BMI

Almost 70% of women and 40% of men are overweight or obese.

Your Body Mass Indicator (BMI) calculator checks if you’re at a healthy weight. Here’s how to test, calculate yours by:

Dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in meters (m)

  • Then dividing the answer by your height again to get your BMI.

Good to know

Underweight

less than 18.5

Normal weight

18.5 – 24.9

Overweight

25 – 29.9

Obese

30 or greater

2. Diabetes

Over 4.6 million people in South Africa have diabetes

What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. They are different conditions but are both serious and need to be treated and managed properly.

  • Type 1 occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin. It usually starts very quickly and in younger people. If you have Type 1 diabetes you need insulin injections to survive as well as having a carefully balanced food intake and exercise programme
  • Type 2 formerly called adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when the pancreas makes too little insulin or your body can’t use the insulin effectively. It usually develops in adulthood and is often caused by being overweight and not exercising. Approximately 85 – 90% of all people with diabetes are Type 2 and many people who have this condition are undiagnosed. This can result in serious damage to the delicate parts of the body and lead to blindness, heart attack\stroke, kidney failure, impotence and amputation so it’s vital to be checked.

The tests

Test 1: The Fasting blood glucose test – blood glucose is taken before you eat in the morning.

Good to know

Normal

3.9 to 5.5 mmols/l

Prediabetic or Impaired Glucose Tolerance

5.6 to 7.0 mmol/l

Diabetic

More than 7.0 mmol/l

Test 2: HbA1c test. The HbA1c levels determine your blood sugar control over time.

Good to know

Normal

Less than 6%

Prediabetic

6 – 6.4%

Diabetic

6.5% or more

Test 2: HbA1c test. The HbA1c levels determine your blood sugar control over time.

Good to know

Normal

Less than 6%

Prediabetic

6 – 6.4%

Diabetic

6.5% or more

 

3.
Blood pressure 

It’s hard to believe but in South Africa more than 1 in 3 adults live with high blood pressure 

What is blood pressure? 

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries – the blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart.

The blood pressures numbers mean the following: The first (or top) number is your systolic blood pressure. It is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats. The bottom figure is your diastolic blood pressure and is the lowest pressure exerted as your heart relaxes between beats. 

What is high blood pressure? 

High blood pressure or hypertension is when blood pressure stays elevated over time. Hypertension is often known as the ’silent killer,’ since nearly 33% of people who have it, don’t know it. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have yours measured. 

Good to know 

   

Range  

Normal  

120/80 to 129/84  

Upper end of Normal  

130/85 to 139/89  

High 

140/90 or higher  

Stage 1 hypertension  

130/80 to 139/89  

Stage 2 hypertension  

140/90 or higher  

Note:

High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to measure it. For a healthy adult, the American Heart Association recommends checking your blood pressure at least once every two years. If you have had high readings, your doctor may recommend more frequent readings. If you have additional risk factors, such as diabetes, heart disease, or previous stroke, your doctor may recommend more frequent readings. 

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