Surf Life Saving Queensland Magazine
Heart Smart: Understanding Risks, Reducing Threats and Recognising Signals
What we recommend/what can you do REDUCING THE RISK THROUGH LIFESTYLE CHOICES Preventing heart disease starts with knowing your risk factors and making positive lifestyle changes to lower your risk. Most heart attacks and strokes can be prevented with healthy choices. Lifestyle factors that increase risk are: • Smoking
• Unhealthy diet • Being inactive • Unhealthy weight • Alcohol
Taking measures such as eating a heart-healthy diet, being active and smoke-free will mean that
A s advocates for both water safety and overall well- being, we get the importance of keeping our hearts in top shape. With Heart Week coming up in May, we thought this would be a good time for us as a community to chat about what we might be up against, how we can lower our risks, and the crucial signs to keep an eye on. Whether you’re patrolling the beaches or enjoying downtime with loved ones, ensuring a strong and healthy heart is paramount. CAUSES OF HEART DISEASE There is no single cause for any one heart condition, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing one. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. More than half of Australian adults have three or more risk factors for heart disease. Yet many people don’t know they’re at risk. Some risk factors for heart diseases are beyond your control, such as: age, gender, ethnicity and family history. Certain conditions can also increase your chance of developing heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Lifestyle choices, such as activity and diet, can have large effects on your risk level as well. It is important to remember it is never too early or late to manage your risk of heart disease and improve your heart health.
your risk is reduced.
HEART HEALTH CHECK 1.4 million Australians have a high chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 5 years and many are unaware of this risk. You can book in for a 20-minute Heart Health Check with your GP, which will help you understand your risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next 5 years. From here, your GP can support you to make positive changes to lower this risk.
Warning signs and symptoms HEART ATTACK
Recognising the symptoms of a heart attack and calling Triple Zero (000) could save your life or the life of a loved one. It’s important that people of all genders know the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack, because early treatment is vital. The longer a blockage is left untreated, the more damage occurs. The most common heart attack warning signs are: • Chest discomfort or pain (angina). This can feel like uncomfortable pressure, aching, numbness, squeezing, fullness or pain in your chest. This discomfort can spread to your arms, neck, jaw or back. It can last for several minutes or come and go.
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