Sonic HealthPlus More Healthy Hearts

The Heart of the matter

Your heart is your engine, it pumps blood throughout your

body and keeps your motor running.

If your heart has to work harder, due to being overweight,

smoking, or having high cholesterol levels, then you

could be at risk of having a heart attack.

High blood pressure can lead to having a stroke. With

some small changes to your lifestyle, you can drastically

reduce your risk of heart disease.

Heart Disease in Australia

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the term used to describe

diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

It is the leading cause of death in Australian Men and Women1.

In 2010, CVD caused 32% of all deaths nationally, with

coronary heart disease and stroke alone causing almost

33,000 deaths, and more than 6,700 additional deaths being

caused by heart failure, hypertensive disease and cardiac

arrhythmias2.

1Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010). Australia’s Health 20102 Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3303.0 Causes of Death, Australia, 2010

Risk Factors

Risk factors that you can’t change include:

• Age - as your age increases so does your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

• Gender - males are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than females.

• Family History - your risk increases if an immediate family member has suffered from cardiovascular disease.

Know your ‘non-modifiable’ risk factors (those factors that you can’t change) and account for these by making other positive lifestyle changes.

• A heart attack is the blockage of

an artery supplying the heart

• Heart starved of oxygen →

muscle death

• Discomfort in chest → spreading

to other areas

• Pain is NOT always a symptom

• Often mild symptoms

• Tightness or a squeezing

sensation.

Australian Heart Foundation

Heart AttackKnow the Warning Signs

Heart attack Stroke

• Severe crushing central chest

pain that does not go away

after several minutes

• Pain spreading down the left

arm or into the jaw

• Mild chest pain

• Breathlessness

• Unexplained indigestion

• Not necessarily a sharp pain.

• Stroke often occurs without warning

• The symptoms of a stroke depend on

which area of the brain has been

affected

• Severe headache, dizziness and

confused speech

• Weakness or paralysis down one side

of the body, loss of speech, loss of

swallowing reflex and sometimes

unconsciousness.

Anyone experiencing this kind of pain should get to hospital immediately.

Early treatment for a heart attack can save your life!

Signs and Symptoms

Preventing Heart Disease

Eight Secrets of a Healthy Heart

1. Eat Healthy

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts,

fish and lean meats.

Avoid processed foods and trans fats

Preventing Heart Disease

2. Quit Smoking

It will help your cholesterol levels and general heart health,

as well as having many other immediate and long-term

health benefits.

Preventing Heart Disease

3. Exercise

• Your heart is like any other muscle, it can be trained to be

stronger and work more effectively.

• National health guidelines recommend that you do 30

minutes of exercise most days of the week.

This can include:

• walking

• riding a bike

• anything that raises your heart rate above normal and

makes you puff a little bit (you should be able to carry on a

conversation while exercising).

No need to bust a gut – gentle and steady is the key.

Preventing Heart Disease

4. Manage and acknowledge your stress

• Take some time out from work for a short walk or

stretch.

• Become more aware of your stress levels, find your

own outlets and devise a stress management plan.

• High levels of stress can lead to increased blood

pressure and other health risks.

Preventing Heart Disease

5. Go easy on the alcohol

• Keep it to two drinks or less a night – your heart will

love you for it

Preventing Heart Disease

6. Control your blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure that blood exerts on the

artery walls as the heart pumps it around the body.

If your blood pressure remains high it can cause serious

problems like a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure or

kidney disease.

Preventing Heart Disease

High blood pressure usually has no

warning signs or symptoms and therefore

it is important to have regular blood

pressure checks.

7. Maintain a healthy body weight

Overweight people tend to have higher blood pressure

and higher blood cholesterol, which are both major risk

factors for heart attack.

Being overweight can contribute to problems in the joints,

and is also associated with other serious diseases such

as diabetes.

Aim for a waist circumference of:

<80cm for Females and <94cm for males

Preventing Heart Disease

8. Control cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the body

that has many good uses.

When extra cholesterol is accumulated in the blood

vessels, it can restrict the flow of blood around the body.

The blocking of blood vessels may lead to a heart attack

or stroke.

Knowing your blood cholesterol levels is an important

starting point in helping to control your cholesterol.

Preventing Heart Disease

STOP HEART DISEASE

There are many small changes you can make to your lifestyle that

will ensure a greater quality and length of life. By following the eight

recommended guidelines, your heart will be much healthier and work

more effectively.

If you haven’t been active for a while, you may need to consult a

Doctor before starting a physical activity program.

Speak to your Sonic HealthPlus Professionals about making some

small positive changes to your lifestyle.