Heart Health

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease

• Increasing age
• Family history of cardiovascular disease
• Smoking and breathing second-hand smoke
• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Diabetes, especially if poorly controlled
• Poorly controlled diabetes
• Being physically inactive (less than 30 mins. exercise on most days of the week)
• Being overweight (e.g. waist measurement more than 80 cm for women or more than 94 cm for men)
• Depression
• Social isolation and lack of quality support

Australian absolute cardiovascular disease risk calculator

Your or your doctor can calculate your individual risk of cardiovascular disease within the next 5 years using the Australian absolute cardiovascular disease risk calculator.

The risk calculator uses your age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, whether you have diabetes, and whether you smoke.

The Australian absolute cardiovascular disease risk calculator was developed by the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (Diabetes Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Kidney Health Australia and the National Stroke Foundation). When you know your risk, you can talk to your doctor about how to minimise it.

Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease means narrowing or blockage of the arteries that supply the heart muscle itself.

Coronary heart disease is usually due to a build-up of fatty material inside the blood vessels. Blocking of the heart’s arteries can cause pain (angina) or a heart attack.

Heart attack

A heart attack happens when the arteries that supply the heart itself become completely blocked and blood cannot get to the heart muscle. Without blood, the heart muscle begins to die.

A heart attack is a medical emergency. If you think someone is having a heart attack, call 000.

Follow the National Heart Foundation of Australia’s advice at www.heartattackfacts.org.au.

How to recognise a heart attack

Learn the warning signs from National Heart Foundation of Australia. Warning signs of a heart attack differ from person to person and can include and of these:

• discomfort, pain, pressure, heaviness or tightness in the centre of the chest

• discomfort, pain, pressure or heaviness in one or both arms, one or both shoulders, the neck, jaw or back. Arms may feel heavy or useless.

• shortness of breath

• nausea

• cold sweat

• dizziness or light-headedness

• choking in the throat.

If you think you are having a heart attack, stop and rest. Tell someone about your symptoms. If symptoms are severe, are getting worse, or last more than 10 minutes, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. Don’t hang up: wait for advice.

Angina

Angina is pain or discomfort caused by lack of blood supply to the heart. This happens when the arteries to the heart muscle are blocked in a person with coronary heart disease.

Angina can feel like pain, pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness in the chest.

It often happens during exercise and gets better after rest. If you think your may have had angina, talk to your doctor.

Chronic heart failure

Chronic (long-term) heart failure means the heart cannot pump blood properly.

This can develop when the heart muscle is weakened.

Common causes of chronic heart failure include coronary heart disease, previous heart attack, and hypertension.

Symptoms of chronic heart failure can include:

• Tiredness

• Shortness of breath  

• Swelling in the legs or ankles.

Chronic heart failure is managed with medicines and lifestyle changes.

Stroke

Stroke means blockage of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Without its blood supply, the brain can be damaged.

The after-effects of a stroke depend on the area of brain that was damaged, the severity of damage, and the person’s general health.

A stroke is a medical emergency. If you think someone is having a stroke, call 000.

Follow the Stroke Foundation of Australia’s advice at www.strokefoundation.com.au

How to recognise a stroke

Learn the warning signs from the National Stroke Foundation

Signs of a stroke can include:

• drooping of the mouth

• inability to lift both arms

• slurred speech

• difficulty understanding other people when they speak

• weakness, numbness or paralysis of the face

• weakness, numbness or paralysis of arms or legs (either on one side or both sides of the body)

• blindness, sudden blurred vision, or inability to see properly with one or both eyes

• headache (usually severe and sudden)

• swallowing problems.

Signs of a stroke may occur alone or in combination. They can last a few seconds or up to 24 hours and then disappear. If you or anyone else experiences the signs of stroke, no matter how long they last, call 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the artery walls as it is pumped around the body by the heart. It increases during exercise or stress.

Blood pressure readings have two numbers (e.g. 120/80 mmHg). The first (bigger) number is the pressure while the heart is contracting (systolic blood pressure) and the second number is the pressure while the heart muscle is relaxing (diastolic blood pressure). The units of measure (‘mmHg’) means ‘millimetres of mercury’.

Hypertension is the medical term for consistently high blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure is one of the causes of:

• Heart attack

• Coronary heart disease

• Stroke

• Kidney failure

People with high blood pressure often don’t have any symptoms, so doctors check blood pressure regularly. Normal blood pressure is generally less than 120/80 mmHg.

Cholesterol abnormalities

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for your body to function properly, but too much of the wrong type can lead to health problems like heart disease.

Cholesterol levels are measured on a blood test. There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. LDL-cholesterol (‘bad’ cholesterol) can build up in the arteries and cause blockages. Excess ‘bad’ cholesterol leads to cardiovascular disease (e.g. heart attacks or strokes). HDL-cholesterol (‘good’ cholesterol) is essential for good health.

It helps remove excess ‘bad’ cholesterol. Low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol leads to cardiovascular disease. Unhealthy cholesterol levels can be managed with medicines and lifestyle changes.

Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest means the heart has stopped beating. Blood stops flowing to the brain and a person will lose consciousness and stop breathing.

Without medical attention, the person will usually die within a few minutes.

If you suspect a person is having a cardiac arrest call 000 immediately and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Keep going until a defibrillator can be used or the ambulance arrives. Cardiac arrest can be caused by a heart attack.

How to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease

• Stop smoking and avoid other people’s smoke.
• Be physically active every day. Aim for at least 30-minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking on most, if not all, days.
• Avoid adding salt to food. Choose ‘no added salt’, ‘low salt’ or ‘salt reduced’ foods where possible.
• Eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, oily fish, fruit, low fat dairy and vegetable/seed oils. Include eat nuts, seeds and beans in your diet.
• Keep your body weight healthy. (see Body Composition)
• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels within your target range.
• Reduce your stress levels and take time to relax.
• If you have been prescribed medicines for cardiovascular disease or to prevent it (e.g. medicines to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol), take them as advised by your doctor.
• Visit your doctor regularly.

Additional resources

www.heartfoundation.org.au

www.heartattackfacts.org.au

www.strokefoundation.com.au

www.cvdcheck.org.au