Blood pressure checks
Australians should have their blood pressure checked whenever they see their GP,
says an international expert who spoke at the National Heart Foundation of
Australias Conference in Melbourne.
Professor Finlay McAlister from the University of Alberta in Canada, urged Australia to
introduce routine blood pressure checks and other key recommendations from the
successful Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP).
Canada is one of the worlds leading countries in the prevention and control of high
blood pressure thanks to the CHEP, which Professor McAlister played a key role in
managing.
The introduction of the program in 1999 coincided with a decrease in cardiovascular
disease rates and an increase in the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure,
said Professor McAlister.
Including blood pressure checks at all appropriate clinical visits was a key reform
along with raising public awareness about the importance of lifestyle changes and
medication adherence, he added.
The number of Canadians with high blood pressure who were being successfully
treated increased from 13% to 66% between 1992 and 2010.
Better education of health professionals also ensured that prescription rates for
recommended blood pressure drugs increased by 13% a year.
The overall success of the program is highlighted by the fact that in most developed
countries, including Australia, rates of blood pressure control are below those
achieved in Canada.
In Australia, an estimated one in 11 people (1.95million) have high blood pressure,
which is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, but the true figure could be
substantially higher.
High blood pressure is sometimes called as the silent killer because it has no
obvious symptoms and yet is a major risk factor for heart disease, Dr Lyn Roberts,
National CEO of the Heart Foundation, said.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is by having it checked
regularly by your doctor.
Were concerned that a large number of Australians are living with undiagnosed high
blood pressure and that we need a system of heart health checks to ensure people
with, or at high risk of heart disease are detected, treated and provided with on-going
management, Dr Roberts said.
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as the heart pumps
it around the body. High blood pressure means that the heart is required to work
harder to send the blood through the body.
If your blood pressure remains high, it can lead to serious problems such as a heart
attack, a stroke, heart failure or kidney disease. High blood pressure usually does not
give warning signs, Dr Roberts said.
High blood pressure is caused by a range of factors, including lifestyle factors such as
weight, exercise and the level of sodium in the diet and in some cases family history.
The Heart Foundation Conference is bringing together experts from around the world,
together with cutting-edge Australian researchers to address the latest cardiovascular
health concerns.
While our work over the last fifty years has helped to reduce the number of deaths
from cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke and blood vessel disease) it remains the
number one cause of death in Australia.
The Heart Foundation is grateful to our major conference sponsors, the Victorian
Department of Health (Principal Partner) and Astra Zeneca (Platinum Sponsor), for
their support.