|
Cardiovascular Disease can be prevented
About 80% of the adult population have at least one of the following cardiovascular risk factors:
Tobacco smoking,
Physical inactivity,
High blood pressure,
Overweight.
Around 10% of the adult population have 3 or more modifiable risk factors.
There have been significant gains over the last 35 years. Over this time, age-adjusted mortality from CVD has fallen by around 60-70%, this being the major reason for improved life expectancy of Australians over this period.
Work commissioned by the National Heart Foundation of Australia has shown the decline in mortality rates is due almost equally to two areas:
A decrease in the incidence of major events such as heart attack, associated with decreased prevalence of risk factors, and
Decreased fatality rates with acute events, because of better treatments.
There is great potential for further reductions in morbidity and mortality if effective preventive and treatment strategies are used for the whole population and for high-risk groups, for both coronary heart disease and stroke.
The value of prevention of CVD has also been emphasised in the Commonwealth's 1998 National Health Priorities Area Cardiovascular Health Report on Heart, Stroke and Vascular Diseases.
Effective combined lifestyle measures (especially for primary prevention) and medical treatments (especially for acute treatments and secondary prevention) should decrease coronary heart disease events by around 37% and 47%, respectively.
These facts underscore the value of a commitment by Australia to heart disease prevention.
A comprehensive cardiovascular health strategy is needed
The incidence of CVD increases with advancing age. Already the 12% of the Australian population aged 65 years or over account for 60% of hospitalisations from cardiovascular disease. Associated with this it is projected that the burden of the elderly with coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart failure and stroke will progressively increase. Progressive ageing of the Australian population will only increase the burden of CVD.
Support for prevention programs
It is recognised that there is a need to address the needs of people without diagnosed or manifest disease who are at highest or equivalent risk as those with diagnosed disease.
It is known that a significant proportion of people and that justified by existing medical and scientific evidence there is potential for large and cost-effective improvements in health outcomes for this sector of the population.
Suggested Male Health Assessment - Downloadable Questionnaire
Download Questionnaire
| 
Company
Profile
