Cardiovascular Disease in Australia
Pro Health Care
Multidisciplinary clinics in Adelaide - focused on providing the highest level of patient care for over 35 years.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health problem in Australia, causing 27% of deaths each year. Meaning 118 Australians die from CVD every day. CVD is a term used to include all major heart diseases (coronary heart disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, rheumatic heart disease).
Heart attacks and stroke are mainly cause by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart or brain. The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty substances on the inner walls of the blood vessels. Strokes can be caused by a bleeding blood vessel in the brain or from blood clots. However, a healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
WHAT ARE CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS?
Common risk factors associated with CVD include high blood pressure, being overweight, high blood cholesterol and smoking. Common types of CVD in Australia include coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the main risk factors for CVD. ?When your blood pressure levels are higher than normal, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs. If left untreated, it can overload your heart and arteries and can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. ?Hypertension is a common medical condition and its prevalence increases with age. One third of Australian adults (33.7%) have high blood pressure. Almost four out of five adults are experiencing hypertension by the age of 75.
It is uncommon to present with physical symptoms of hypertension. Thus, it is vital to have regular Heart Health Checks with your GP.
SIGNS OF HEART ISSUES
-?????????Chest pain
-?????????Shortness of breath
-?????????Dizziness / fainting
-?????????Fatigue or exhaustion
-?????????Pain, weakness or numb legs / arms
-?????????Irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations
WAYS TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE
-?????????Regular exercise
-?????????Reduce alcohol intake
-?????????Quit smoking
-?????????Following a healthy diet (reducing salt, sugar and saturated fat intake)
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-?????????Manage body weight
-?????????Minimise caffeine consumption
Taking the above steps can help to minimise the risk of developing hypertension, CVD or stroke.
As part of a heart health check, your GP will measure your blood pressure. Depending on the result and overall risk level, they may suggest altering your diet and lifestyle, or in some cases suggest prescription medicine to manage blood pressure levels. Also, a CVD risk score can be done with your GP. This score estimates your risk of a heart attack or stroke within the next five years. Regular heart health checks can help you have a better understanding of your risk of a potential heart attack or stroke and ways to manage your risk.
Book an appointment with one of our GP’s today for a Heart Health Check!
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REFERENCES
About Pro Health Care
Our ethos and core values have stemmed from the work of three prominent General Practitioners working within the Western Suburbs of Adelaide from which Pro Health Care was founded in 2007. The commitment, time and care they gave their patients over 35 years is the cornerstone of our philosophy.
Since then, our medical centres have been structured around our patients as we emphasise a holistic approach to managing health and well-being through doctor’s services and multi-disciplinary care — whether it be general medical, physiotherapy, podiatry or anything in between. The medical framework through which we operate focuses on collaborative reasoning and communication, a combination of values which we believe is the path to achieving the highest possible standards of care for our patients. Visit our website?here.