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Heart disease - the silent killer of Australian women
Monday March 21, 2005
New research reveals that most Australian adults are not aware that heart
disease kills more women than any other disease. This lethal disease claims
the lives of more than 12,000 Australian women annually, which is almost five
times higher than the number of deaths caused by breast cancer.
Despite big improvements in the past 40 years, a staggering 97 percent of
Australians are unaware that heart disease is the number one killer of women.
The research, published in the latest issue of the Pfizer Australia Health
Report, was conducted by Stollznow Research for the National Heart Foundation
of Australia and researched-based medicines company, Pfizer Australia.
“The issue of heart disease is just as important for women as breast
cancer, and this research demonstrates the need for further community education,” said
Dr Lyn Roberts, Heart Foundation Chief Executive Officer – National.
“The survey conveys that only 3 percent of Australians are aware that
heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. The survey found that
more people (4 percent) thought prostate cancer kills more women than heart
disease, which is quite alarming as women don’t have prostates.”
The survey also identified that most people (65 percent) correctly identified
heart disease as a leading cause of death in Australian men. Yet more than
one in six Australians are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause
of death in men.
Another key finding is that more than 70 percent of people surveyed have never
spoken to their doctor about heart disease.
“The survey found that women are less likely than men to seek medical
attention for heart disease, with more men than women discussing this health
issue with their doctor. But the good news is that heart disease is largely
preventable and the risk can be greatly reduced by leading a healthy lifestyle,” said
Dr Roberts.
The Heart Foundation recommends people speak to their doctor to discuss heart
disease prevention and to help identify if they are at risk.
“This is incredibly important considering that nine out of 10 Australians
have at least one modifiable risk for heart disease and one in four Australians
have three or more risk factors. These risk factors include smoking, being
physically inactive, having high blood cholesterol, having high blood pressure,
being overweight or obese and having diabetes,” Dr Roberts added.
The survey also found that one in ten Australians surveyed mistakenly believe
they should wait for a whole hour before seeking treatment for chest pain.
Key tips from the Heart Foundation to help reduce the risk of developing
heart disease are:
- achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- be smoke free
- be active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week
- enjoy healthy eating
- control blood pressure and cholesterol levels
The Heart Foundation’s Heart Week 2005 is being held between 1–7
May 2005. To help alert Australians to the seriousness of heart disease the
theme for this year’s Heart Week is Cardiovascular disease – Australia’s
number one killer. For more information, visit Heartsite www.heartfoundation.com.au/heartweek or
contact:
Heartline 1300 362 787
To assist with educating the public about heart disease, the Heart Foundation
has collaborated with Pfizer Australia to produce this month’s edition
of the Pfizer Australia Health Report. Filled with useful information, free
copies can be requested by phoning 1800 675 229 or by visiting www.healthreport.com.au where
people can also sign-up for email alerts of future editions.
The findings on Australian perceptions of heart disease are based on responses
from 1370 Australians aged 18 years and over. The research was conducted in
August 2004 by independent consultants Stollznow Research.