THE fight to take on Australia’s biggest killer has received a blow with a study showing an alarming lack of awareness on what causes the disease.
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While more Australians die from heart disease than any other cause, only six per cent of the population knows that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease.
And only nine per cent of Australians were able to nominate cholesterol as a leading contributor to heart disease.
Cardiac rehabilitation nurse co-ordinators at South West Healthcare (SWH) Nicky Clapham and Anne Morrison said the lack of knowledge of these risk factors was an issue.
“It is a concerning finding that such a large percentage of the public can’t identify some of the major risk factors of heart disease,” Ms Clapham said.
“This lack of understanding shows the need for education on what the risk factors are and what preventive measures can be taken to reduce them,” Ms Morrison said.
A Preventive Medicine Report on heart disease found that 32 per cent of heart disease was linked with blood pressure and 16 per cent to high cholesterol.
The report called for a pro-active approach.
“While the onset of heart disease may occur at an older age, risk factors that predispose to the condition may be present decades prior and public health and prevention measures will not be successful without awareness from an early age,” the report stated.
The cardiac rehabilitation program at SWH is aimed at not only helping in the recovery process but also short-circuiting further issues.
Ms Clapham and Ms Morrison deliver seven-week heart health programs which include education and exercise sessions in the rehabilitation gym.
Participation in the program can come from a referral from a health professional or from self-referral.
“We start with a one-on-one assessment, the program is tailored to meet individual needs,” Ms Clapham said.
“It is about providing an exercise program that can be done here in the sessions but also can be done at home.
“We know bad habits with exercise or diet are hard to break and this program is all about providing the support to build good habits.”
Ms Morrison said the program provided peer support.
“The group has a wide range of people in different stages of their recovery,” Ms Morrison said.
“The sessions bring open discussions and that is great for people to hear the experience of others who have gone, or are going through, something similar to them.”