Health Promotions

Lifesaving Heart Checks For W.A. Residents

Blood pressure and BMI (Body Mass Index)are two important measures that provide an indication of an individual's risk of heart disease. Another measure that provides important information that contributes to risk is waist girth. Men with a measurement of over 94 cm (37 inches) and women with over 80 cm (32 inches) are at increased risk of developing heart disease.

According to Pharmacy 777 and Pharmacy Help Pharmacists, heart disease is the main cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of death and disability in Australia.

"Heart disease is a serious disease and a global problem. Overweight and obesity is a leading risk factor for heart disease. Globally there are more than one billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese. Australians account for more than seven million of this total," Pharmacist Michael Dillon said.

Each year, Heart Week and World Heart Day, initiatives spearheaded by the Heart Federation aim to increase public awareness of, and promote preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of heart disease.

"Maintaining a healthy body is the most effective way to prevent heart disease. There are a lot of people who don't even realise that they are candidates for heart disease," Michael Dillon said.

According to Trevor Shilton, Director, Cardiovascular Health at the Heart Foundation, the proportion of Australian adults with risk factors for heart disease is high - 60% (7.42 million) are overweight, 54% (7.27 million) are not active enough, 51% (6.40 million) have high cholesterol, 30% (3.69 million) have high blood pressure, 20% (3.06 million) smoke, 10% (1.54 million) drink at harmful levels and 8% (945,600) have diabetes.

"The good news is that research shows that simple lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and adopting a healthy diet can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease. I urge anyone interested in changing their lifestyle and learning more about healthy eating, reducing kilojoule intake and management of diabetes and high cholesterol to visit their local GP or Health Professional. By visiting their local Pharmacy 777 or Pharmacy Help for a blood pressure and BMI test they will receive useful information that may contribute to improving their health and could lengthen their lives," Mr Shilton said.

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For further information, contact:
Samantha Bremner at Professional Public Relations (PPR) on 9388 0944 or 0414 524 574

Sources: Heart, Stroke and Vascular Diseases - Australian Facts 2004, www.heartfoundation.com.au World Heart Federation, www.worldheartday.com