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Did you know………..
Heart disease is a chronic condition which affects approximately 334,500 Australians?
(Source: Heart Foundation 2008, www.heartfoundation.org.au) There are a number of risk factors that can increase the chances of developing coronary heart disease. There are risk factors we can change, such as smoking, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, being overweight, depression, social isolation and lack of social support. However, there are also risk factors that you can't change, such as being male, increasing age, and having a family history of coronary heart disease.
Your GP will check your risk for heart disease by simply taking your blood pressure. This is the best way to check your heart’s health. The GP can give you ideas on how to look after the health of your heart to prevent serious disease later on.
The best ways to reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease, and to help prevent it getting worse if you already have it, are to reduce or remove the risk factors that you can change and take your medicines as prescribed by your GP.
Ask your GP for further information, or call Heart Health Information on 1300 362 787, www.heartfoundation.org.au/Pages/default.aspx.
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