It’s the single biggest killer for women in Australia, claiming 25 lives every day, but most women remain unaware of their most important risk factors of heart disease – high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Heart Foundation statistics reveal only 1 in 20 women aged 45-65 considers high blood pressure and cholesterol to be important risk factors for heart disease.
To raise awareness of the heart health charity has launched its annual Go Red for Women in June campaign where we're encourged to dress, eat and party in red.
“Many people are still surprised to learn that heart disease is the single biggest killer of Australian women and that it claims more than three times as many female lives as breast cancer,” said Ms Julie Anne Mitchell, women’s health spokesperson at the Heart Foundation.
“We’re very concerned that women are failing to prioritise their health, by not getting their blood pressure and cholesterol checked by a doctor.”
One in three adult women have high cholesterol, but 90% of those women don’t know it. One in four women over the age of 35 have high blood pressure but two thirds who do, don’t know it.
“There are often no signs or symptoms associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol which is why women can overlook it. However it is vital that women know their blood pressure and cholesterol levels so that they are armed to take steps to reduce them if they are too high,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Go Red for Women has been an important campaign to address the knowledge gap around women and heart disease. When we launched nationally in 2009, only 20% of women aged 45-65 were aware that heart disease was their single biggest killer.”
“But by the end of last year, this had risen to 36%. A pleasing result but with only one in three women aware this is still not good enough.”
“Heart disease kills more than 9000 women in Australian a year, which is why we’re urging all Australians to Go Red for Women in June,” she said.
Now in its sixth year, the Heart Foundation’s Go Red for Women campaign helps raise women’s awareness of heart disease and is supported by Aurizon, Bupa and Napoleon Perdis.
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