Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Australia. CVD is a broad term used to include heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases. One in four of all deaths in Australia occur as a result of CVD. This disease claims one life every 13 minutes, and is currently affecting 16.6% of the population!
One individual is hospitalised every minute for CVD, resulting in 1600 hospitalisations per day.
In Australia, 64% of adults have three or more modifiable risk factors. In order to manage and lower CVD, risk assessments can be done. These assessments can identify low, moderate and high CVD risk and can be the starting point to improving your health.
What else can you do for your health?
Regular exercise is a great place to start. Some of the benefits include:
- Reduction blood pressure
- Reduce LDL and total cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol
- Improve muscular functioning strength
- Improve aerobic capacity
- Improve blood vessel dilatation and blood flow
If you regularly participate in aerobic exercise your blood pressure will reduce by 5-7mmHg in both systolic and diastolic pressure. A reduction in blood pressure is known to reduce CVD risk of 20-30%. So get moving!
What exercise is best suited for me?
Aerobic activity such as walking, running, bike riding, swimming etc. on most, if not all days of the week.
Resistance based exercise is recommended to be completed 2 days/week (Eg: free weights, body weight, cable machines etc. )
How often do I need to exercise?
Age: 18-64
Physically active on 5 or more days
2.5-5 hours of moderate intensity a week or 1.25-2.5 hours of vigorous intensity a week
Age: 64+
30 minutes of moderate intensity on most, preferably all days of the week
Pathways available to you:
- Enhanced Primary Care plans issued to you by your GP.
- OsteopathyOne run exercise physiology one to one and group classes that focus on pulmonary rehabilitation and healthy heart maintenance.
- A local walking group in the area to get you moving regularly.
References:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, National Health Survey 2014-15, Data customised using TableBuilder
- National Heart Foundation of Australia May 2020
- Australian Bureau of Statistics 2019, Causes of Death 2018, cat. no. 3303.0, September
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019, National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD); Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017, Australian Health Expenditure – demographics and diseases: hospital admitted patient expenditure 2004-05 to 2012-13, Supplementary tables, Health Expenditure and Welfare series no. 59, cat. No. HWE 69,
- 2019 American college of sports medicine. Exercise for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension – Implications and Application.