Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in Australia.
And recent data from the National Health Survey tells us that well over half our adult population has 3 or more risk factors for coronary heart disease.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of a heart attack or stroke in the future.
• High blood pressure | • Depression |
• Chronic kidney disease | • Smoking |
• High cholesterol-levels | • Not enough vegetables in your diet |
• Family history of cardiovascular disease | • Low level of physical activity |
• Diabetes | • Being overweight |
You can have Heart Health Check if you’re aged over 45, or over 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. With your doctor you can:
You can talk with InstantScripts GP about a Heart Health Check today; it could be the most important phone call you make.
Medicines your doctor may prescribe to protect your heart — if you need them — include:
Need a repeat of your regular cholesterol or blood pressure lowering medicines? InstantScripts can help with that.
Medicines are best used in conjunction with lifestyle changes.
Get heart-healthy recipes from the Heart Foundation.
Health authorities around the world recommend just 30 minutes of walking every day to help:
But who has 30 minutes to spare? Or maybe you feel like 30 min is too much.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that just 15 extra minutes of brisk walking 5 days a week would reduce ‘disease burden due to physical inactivity’ in the population by about 13%.
That means you can be sure that even a little is good, even if you can’t manage 30 minutes a day. Of course, more is better. And you don’t have to do the 30 minutes all in one block, either. Each block of walking time can be added together.