FORGET roses and chocolates this Valentine's Day.
During February, Westmead Medical Research Foundation (WMRF) is challenging people in NSW to swap cards and flowers for a "bighearted" donation to help people with heart disease.
The foundation has launched its Bighearted online fundraising campaign, as part of Heart Research Month this month, encouraging the community to pledge funds to support clinical work and research into heart disease at Westmead Hospital.
Once committed, participants are then charged with nominating other businesses or individuals to match their donation.
Several organisations have already signed up to the campaign, pitching in thousands of dollars to kick-start the donations.
- Heart disease kills 54 Australians every day.
- Every nine minutes someone suffers a heart attack.
- One in nine Australians have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
RISK FACTORS
The more risk factors for coronary heart disease you have, the greater your chance of developing it. The good news is that for most risk factors, you can do something about them.
Risks you can control are smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure, being inactive, diabetes, being overweight, unhealthy diet.
Risks you can't control are:
- Age - as you get older, your risk of heart disease increases.
- Gender - Men are at higher risk of heart disease. Women's risk grows and may be equal to men after menopause.
- Ethnic background - People of some origins (e.g. from the Indian sub-continent) have higher risk. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have more risk because of lifestyle factors.
- Family history - If someone in your family has cardiovascular disease, speak to your doctor about your risk.