Call to check blood pressure
The Heart Foundation is supporting calls for Australians to get their blood pressure checked in an effort to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.
High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke and research recently released by Alzheimer’s Australia suggests treating high blood pressure could reduce the incidence of dementia by up to 50%.
Almost a third of Australian adults – 3.7million people – have high blood pressure and for every one person on treatment, one is untreated and possibly one remains undiagnosed.
“There are no obvious symptoms of high blood pressure and you can develop it at any age so the only way to know if you are at risk is to have a regular check-up,” said Tony Thirlwell, Heart Foundation NSW chief executive officer.
“By finding out your level of risk you are taking a simple but significant step towards living a longer and better life. It is never too early and never too late to start taking care of your heart and mind,” he added.
The good news regarding high blood pressure is that it can usually be controlled with lifestyle changes and/or medication if required.
The Heart Foundation recently released its new Guide to Management of Hypertension 2008, which provides clear, concise and accurate guidelines to better address the diagnosis, management and follow-ups for patients with raised blood pressure, making it more GP user-friendly. The Guide also includes the latest recommendations for first-line therapy in uncomplicated hypertension and revised treatment targets for various patient populations.
The Guide and its associated resources is available through the Heart Foundation website www.heartfoundation.org.au
