Dr James Beckerman is a US cardiologist practicing in Portland, Oregon. In this TEDx video presentation, he speaks about finding that forming mutual or peer support groups is far more effective than traditional approaches in bringing about heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
Click here or on the image below to view Dr James Beckerman’s 15 minute TEDx.
Dr Warrick Bishop is a practicing Australian cardiologist in Hobart, Tasmania. In this TEDx video presentation, he speaks about the event that led to his first book Have you planned your heart attack? The book has since been re-published with the less provocative title of Know your real risk of heart attack. He’s also published books about atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
Click here or on the image below to view Dr Warrick Bishop’s 15 minute TEDx.
Did you know that just a few cigarettes a day, social smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increases your risk of heart disease?
The use of nicotine and tobacco products increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by damaging the arteries of the heart, causing the build-up of plaque and development of blood clots, thereby restricting blood flow and eventually leading to heart attacks and strokes. The risk of heart attack for smokers can be twice as high as someone who does not smoke.
Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health and your heart!
Some benefits that you can experience when you quit smoking include:
What happens to your body when you quit smoking:
Commit to Quit
See your GP or contact the Quitline 13 78 48 (13QUIT) for help and support to make a commitment to your heart, quit smoking and reduce your risk of heart disease or heart attack.
Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups & Free Membership
Experiencing a heart event increases your risk of having another. Your mental health, social interactions with people, and participation in activities play a huge role in your recovery and improving your quality of life. It is important to avoid isolation and make sure you are connecting with family, friends and support groups with your peers to help reduce your risks of a secondary heart event.
Visit here to find out more about Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups and free membership.
Being inactive and/or overweight are two of the most common lifestyle risk factors associated with heart disease for women. Women living a sedentary lifestyle significantly increase their risk of health issues including weight gain, high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke, heart attack and other heart related problems. Taking some steps to become more active, engage in regular physical exercise and establish healthy eating habits has many benefits for your overall physical health and mental wellbeing but especially for the health of your heart.
Get Active, Reduce Your Risk
Incorporate physical activity into your everyday routine – this doesn’t mean you have to be at the gym at 5am!! But rather, by making small changes that are likely to become good habits, you will be on your way to a healthy heart lifestyle. Walking* is a form of aerobic exercise and has great benefits for your heart health. Aim for 20-30 minutes of walking or approximately eight thousand steps every day to help reduce your risk.
*Walking may not be for you for a variety of reasons. Check with your GP for a safe and effective alternative that is just right for you.
Healthy Eating
Three in five Australian women are overweight or obese putting them at risk of developing heart disease. Combine your new daily physical activity with healthy eating habits to help further reduce your risk. Refrain from adding salt and sugar to your foods and drinks, enjoy a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, and try seasoning with herbs and spices. We recommend including the Mediterranean Diet into your weekly menu to assist with healthier living. Your heart and your tastebuds will thank you!
Always check with your GP before embarking on a weight loss journey or starting a new exercise program for guidance and information.
Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups & Free Membership
Experiencing a heart event increases your risk of having another. Your mental health, social interactions with people, and participation in activities play a huge role in your recovery and improving your quality of life. It is important to avoid isolation and make sure you are connecting with family, friends and support groups with your peers to help reduce your risks of a secondary heart event.
Visit here to find out more about Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups and free membership.
Are you conscientious with getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked?
High blood pressure or hypertension can make the heart work harder than usual. Left untreated, this condition can cause damage to your arteries leading to heart disease. Cholesterol is a fatty-like substance found in the blood and body cells that can build up in the inner artery walls over time, harden, and turn into plaque – a process called atherosclerosis. That build-up of plaque narrows the artery walls, reducing blood flow which can cause blockages leading to blood clots, stroke or heart attack.
It is important to be conscientious with getting your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly with your GP as these conditions are often termed as silent killers due to not always manifesting with obvious or visible symptoms. Many women are not aware that cholesterol in particular is also one of the most common factors putting women at risk of heart disease or heart attack.
We encourage you to have regular heart health checks with your GP, as once detected, these conditions can be managed to reduce your risk and lead a healthy heart lifestyle.
Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups & Free Membership
Experiencing a heart event increases your risk of having another. Your mental health, social interactions with people, and participation in activities play a huge role in your recovery and improving your quality of life. It is important to avoid isolation and make sure you are connecting with family, friends and support groups with your peers to help reduce your risks of a secondary heart event.
Visit here to find out more about Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups and free membership.
Do you know your risk of heart disease or heart attack?
Risk of heart disease and heart attack significantly increases with age. If you are a woman aged 45 years or over, or a woman of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent aged 30 years or over, we encourage you to talk with your GP about other lifestyle or family history risk factors that may also affect your heart health.
Most cases of heart disease can be preventable or treated with early detection and lifestyle changes if you know and understand your risk factors.
Lifestyle risk factors that can be associated with heart disease are smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, being inactive and/or overweight, an unhealthy diet, and depression or stress. Pregnancy complications can also increase the risk of heart disease later in life.
Annual Heart Health Check
If you talk with your GP and undergo an annual heart health check, your doctor can assist you to understand your risk factors and help you to lead a healthy heart lifestyle.
What you can expect from a heart health check
Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups & Free Membership
Experiencing a heart event increases your risk of having another. Your mental health, social interactions with people, and participation in activities play a huge role in your recovery and improving your quality of life. It is important to avoid isolation and make sure you are connecting with family, friends and support groups with your peers to help reduce your risks of a secondary heart event.
Visit here to find out more about Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups and free membership.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of illness and death amongst women in Australia. Cardiovascular disease is a broad term used to describe the many different conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. In 2017-2018, more than half a million women aged 18 and over were diagnosed with a form of cardiovascular disease. In 2020, over 6,500 Australian women died from coronary heart disease alone which equates to almost 18 women per day. Coronary heart disease or Ischaemic heart disease is the most common cardiovascular disease which has two main clinical forms, angina and heart attack. Heart attack occurs when a blood vessel supplying the heart is suddenly blocked, leading to damage of the heart muscle, and compromising its functions.
Did you know that heart attack symptoms in women can be different to those experienced by men?
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort however as demonstrated by the infographic above, women are somewhat more likely than men to experience other symptoms, particularly jaw, neck or upper back pain, pain or pressure in the lower chest or upper abdomen, fainting, indigestion, or extreme fatigue. It has also been noted that women often experience heart attack symptoms when resting or even while sleeping, and symptoms are not always accompanied by chest pain.
Common Symptoms of Heart Attack (Men and Women)
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms,
Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups & Free Membership
Experiencing a heart event increases your risk of having another. Your mental health, social interactions with people, and participation in activities play a huge role in your recovery and improving your quality of life. It is important to avoid isolation and make sure you are connecting with family, friends and support groups with your peers to help reduce your risks of a secondary heart event.
Visit here to find out more about Heart Support Australia Peer Support Groups and free membership.
Pulse Newsletter for your Heart Health.
Take your medications as prescribed, even when you feel really well.
If you have been diagnosed with heart disease or you have experienced a heart event, you will also be prescribed with medications to help manage your heart health. Common heart medication includes those that manage your blood pressure and cholesterol, help prevent blood clots from developing, and prevent and/or manage angina.
It is important to understand and manage your medications. Your GP or pharmacist can assist with questions or concerns that you may have about the medications you are taking, including any side effects.
It is equally important to continue taking your medications as prescribed by your GP or cardiologist, even when you feel really well, as this means the medication is managing your heart health and helping to reduce or prevent your risks of a secondary heart event.
Don’t put off your check-up.
Throughout the stages of the pandemic, medical records have shown that many people have delayed or avoided seeing their GP or even missed tests or check-ups with their specialists. We encourage you to not put off or avoid your regular appointments or specialist follow-ups as this can be detrimental to your heart health.
Your health practitioners will be able to advise you on what measures they have put in place for keeping safe when physically visiting their offices. There are other options available such as telehealth or video calls for health concerns that don’t require an in-person consult.
Join a Heart Support Australia (HSA) Peer Support Group.
If you have experienced a heart event, joining a HSA Peer Support Group and talking with people who have been through the same or similar experiences can make it easier to feel connected with others, less isolated and more able to express your feelings and concerns.
Heart Support Australia currently facilitates nine peer support groups around Australia, each led by a volunteer who has experienced a heart event themselves and one virtual peer support group held online via Zoom.
Membership is free so join us today to receive support, information and encouragement for as long as is needed.
Refer a friend to Heart Support Australia
Sadly, statistics still show heart disease to be Australia’s biggest killer and those who have experienced a heart event such as heart attack are twice as likely to die prematurely than the general population, making secondary heart disease prevention essential in our community.
If you know of someone who has experienced a heart event, refer them to Heart Support Australia for support, information and encouragement whilst they navigate their diagnosis, heart health and getting back on track. One way to let them know about us is to give them the website address for more information.
Visit www.heartsupport.org.au for more information.
The Heart Support Australia website provides information about the organisation, available peer support groups, resources for patients and carers, heart support tips and newsletters. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please feel welcome to contact the team by emailing office@heartsupport.org.au or phoning (02) 6253 0097.
Register for the Healthy Heart Challenge®
Renowned Australian cardiologist, Dr Ross Walker has narrowed a healthy heart down to five key principles; quit unhealthy vices or addictions, sleep for seven to eight hours at night, enjoy healthy eating, aim for eight-thousand steps per day and stress less, smile more!
These five key principles form the Healthy Heart Challenge® – click here for more information and to register today.
Pulse Newsletter for your Heart Health.
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