A nationwide effort to measure the blood stress of as many Australians as doable in a single week has discovered that nearly 15 per cent had hypertension, putting them at an elevated threat of coronary heart illness over coming years.

The brand new information gathered throughout final week’s Coronary heart Week got here from greater than 6,000 individuals who had their blood stress checked free of charge at a SiSU Well being Station in Priceline pharmacies throughout the nation, as a part of a partnership between SiSU Well being and the Coronary heart Basis.

Knowledge confirmed that two thirds of people that had their verify at a SiSU Well being Station had by no means had their blood stress checked earlier than – a worrying statistic for the Coronary heart Basis.

Of concern was additionally the hyperlink between hypertension and diabetes threat, the place virtually 60 per cent of individuals with hypertension additionally recorded a high-risk of diabetes (often known as a excessive AUSDRISK rating; calculated by the Australian Sort 2 diabetes threat evaluation software), which is one other threat issue for coronary heart illness.

Left untreated, hypertension can result in irreversible blood vessel harm, rising your threat of coronary heart assault and stroke.

Hypertension typically happens alongside different hidden threat components for coronary heart illness, reinforcing the necessity for holistic and common Coronary heart Well being Checks by your GP the place your blood stress, ldl cholesterol, sugar ranges and medical and household historical past are assessed. 

Recommendation for Australians to assist them take motion is as follows:

If you’re 18 years or older

• There aren’t any apparent indicators or signs should you’re affected by hypertension, so the one method to discover out if in case you have it is to have it checked frequently – even should you’re feeling properly and wholesome
• Get your blood stress measured at the very least each two years; you will get your blood stress checked at your GP, native pharmacy, SiSU Well being Station or by way of a validated machine at house.

If you’re 35 years or older

If you’re 45 years or older (or from 30 years for First Nations individuals)

• See your GP for a Medicare-subsidised Coronary heart Well being Verify, a routine 20-minute check-up with a GP to evaluate your threat of getting a coronary heart assault or stroke within the subsequent 5 years. 
• As a part of a Coronary heart Well being Verify, your physician will ask you about your medical and household historical past of coronary heart illness in addition to your life-style, together with your weight-reduction plan, bodily exercise, should you smoke or drink alcohol and whether or not you could have a wholesome weight. Your GP will even verify your blood stress, ldl cholesterol and blood sugar ranges. 
• Your GP will use this data to estimate your threat of a coronary heart assault or stroke within the subsequent 5 years. Extra importantly, your GP will focus on the steps you possibly can take to decrease your threat. 

Quotes attributable to David Lloyd, CEO Coronary heart Basis:

“It’s been nice to associate with a genuinely modern firm in SiSU Well being throughout Coronary heart Week to see how we can assist extra Australians frequently measure and higher perceive their blood stress.

“In Australia, having hypertension contributes to 50 per cent of the burden of Coronary Coronary heart Illness.

“An unbelievable one in three Australian adults suffers hypertension – that’s 6.8 million individuals.

“It’s nice to know that the crew at SiSU Well being shares our ardour for decreasing coronary heart illness in Australia, and we sit up for future alternatives to associate them.” 

We’re excited to have partnered with the Coronary heart Basis throughout Coronary heart Week to assist Australians measure their blood stress and know their numbers, many for the primary time. We sit up for future alternatives to associate once more.”

Dr Noel Duncan PhD, Managing Director, SiSU Well being

Additional background

Blood stress 

• Blood stress is the stress of your blood on the partitions of your arteries as your coronary heart pumps it round your physique. 
• Your physician will inform you what your excellent blood stress ought to be, primarily based in your medical historical past.  
• Excessive blood stress – additionally known as hypertension – is when your blood stress is persistently greater than regular; the brink for hypertension is 140/90 mmHg.
• Your blood stress will go up and down naturally all through the day, together with your blood stress going up briefly on account of stress, your emotional state, current bodily exercise, caffeine consumption and even speaking.  
• Hypertension is a number one threat issue for coronary heart illness; virtually half (45.5 per cent) of all heart problems (CVD) occasions are attributed to hypertension.   
• Hypertension contributes to extra loss of life and incapacity worldwide than some other threat issue.
• Blood stress could be measured at house utilizing a validated machine, at a Priceline pharmacy by way of a SiSU Well being Station, by a health care provider or nurse throughout your subsequent physician’s appointment and by way of a Coronary heart Well being Verify.
• For additional data on blood stress go to:

Coronary heart Age Calculator 

• The Coronary heart Age Calculator is a straightforward, 3-minute on-line questionnaire that helps individuals perceive their threat of a coronary heart assault or stroke by figuring out their coronary heart age. 
• It’s designed for individuals aged 35 to 75 years who should not have coronary heart illness or haven’t beforehand had a coronary heart assault or stroke. 
• The Calculator makes use of well-known threat components for coronary heart illness (e.g. age, intercourse, blood stress, ldl cholesterol) to estimate your threat of coronary heart assault or stroke in comparison with an outlined wholesome vary.