A survey conducted between 2019 and 2023 found that health check up rates are lower than they should be and obesity is the most common health risk facing South Africans.
The study was conducted by Discovery Vitality, which found that only six in 10 of its customers have had at least one health check in the past three years.
They found that many people are living with the disease without realizing it, which poses additional risks to their health.
In 2022, 19.8 million people died from cardiovascular disease worldwide.
In 2019, diabetes was the leading cause of underlying natural death in South Africa, accounting for more than 26,000 deaths.
Dr. Mosima Mabunda, Head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality, warns.
“Across the world, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the leading causes of death, disability and poor health. Alarmingly, almost half of adults living with high blood pressure or diabetes believe they have these conditions. I didn't realize it was happening.
“Our latest analysis strongly demonstrates the effectiveness of screening for receiving appropriate treatment.”
Many people are unaware that they have these diseases, which means they are not getting the care they need and are at increased risk of disease progression.
“An easy way to address this is a health check. But testing rates are lower than they should be. Six out of 10 Vitality members have not had a health check in the past three years. We want to change that,” Dr Mabunda said.
The analysis compared data from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Bloemfontein and Gebera, and found that Johannesburg had the lowest overall proportion of members with at least one high-risk health condition, including It was shown that the percentage of members in weight status was the lowest. and blood cholesterol results.
Meanwhile, Gqeberha's Vitality members had the highest overall risk of cardiometabolic disease due to high-risk weight status, blood pressure, and smoking status.
Durban had the lowest proportion of smokers, but the highest proportion of high-risk blood sugar levels and blood cholesterol.
With these insights, Discovery Vitality aims to raise awareness of the importance of screening, said Dinesh Govender, CEO of Vitality.
“Positive health and cost outcomes for Vitality members who receive regular health checkups are associated with healthier lifestyle choices after the checkup.
“Regular health checkups help you understand your health risks and inform your next steps in managing your health,” adds Govender.
Dr Mabunda said encouraging health check-ups is associated with engaging in lifestyle behaviors and connecting with much-needed care to manage underlying chronic diseases.
“The increasing burden of cardiometabolic risks globally requires a renewed focus on prevention, treatment, and control strategies.
“Health screenings have a significant impact on reducing costs for healthcare systems. The data from our analysis is clear that health screenings are an important part of knowing how to begin to address high rates of cardiometabolic disease.” This is a great step. Everyone should be encouraged to get tested.”
