PEOPLE who live in the city are at greater risk from high blood pressure than those who live in the country.
That's according to the figures released for Heart Week, which runs from April 30 to May 7.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show a quarter of Aussie adults have high blood pressure that is either untreated or treated inadequately, putting them at risk of heart attack or stroke.
Heart Foundation National chief executive, Adjunct Professor John Kelly said more than four million Australians were "walking around like a ticking time-bomb".
"Not only is high blood pressure the biggest risk factor for Australia's greatest killers - heart attack and stroke - but it causes other serious illnesses like dementia and kidney disease. In fact, in Australia, more deaths can be put down to high blood pressure than to any other single risk factor," said Adjunct Professor Kelly.
Researchers also found that city dwellers are at higher risk from high blood pressure than people living in the country. While people in the country are more likely to have high blood pressure (39 per cent compared to 31 per cent), they are also more likely to have their high blood pressure treated (63 per cent compared to 48 per cent).
City people are less likely to have spoken to their GP about their blood pressure, are less likely to have had a blood pressure check over the last two years, and are more likely to have high blood pressure that is unmanaged than people in country areas.
Adjunct Professor Kelly said almost half of heart disease deaths can be attributed to hypertension. "We call high blood pressure the silent killer because there are no obvious signs or symptoms, and too many Australians are putting themselves at risk of a heart attack by not keeping it under control," he said.
Close to six million - more than a third of Australian adults - have hypertension. Among those who are taking medication for hypertension, one in four (or 1.4 million) still have high blood pressure.
"While we don't know for sure why high blood pressure in regional Australians is better managed, we know that they have higher rates of conditions such as obesity and diabetes, so they might see health professionals more often than people living in major metro areas.
"They also end to have a closer and longer-term relationship with their local GP, who knows their personal health history, compared to city dwellers, who are less likely to see the same GP every time."
Few Australians (seven per cent) are aware that high blood pressure is the largest risk factor for heart disease, and most are more likely to nominate stress and alcohol as risk factors, according to Heart Foundation research.
Adjunct Professor Kelly said everyone aged 45 years and over should have their blood pressure measured by a health professional at least every two years (from the age of 35 years for Indigenous Australians). "The good news is that simple changes like eating a healthy diet, being physically active and not smoking helps reduce high blood pressure. For some people, medication will be needed," Adjunct Professor Kelly said.
He said the research Heart Week was about highlighting the importance of measuring and managing blood pressure.
