The Stroke Foundation is urging Australians to ditch their unhealthy habits in the wake of a new report revealing our lifestyle choices are putting us at direct risk of life-threatening chronic diseases.
Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and insufficient exercise are all directly linked to stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers according to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
“We know there are increasing numbers of people in our community living with stroke risk factors highlighted in this report, such as obesity, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and high blood pressure,” said Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sharon McGowan
“The good news is most of these risk factors are preventable. Better detection and prevention of chronic disease will help people become healthier and stay out of hospital – saving lives and reducing the burden on our health system.
“This report is further evidence of the benefits which could be achieved through the implementation of a nationally consistent integrated health check program. The sooner GPs and primary care providers routinely offer an integrated health check, the earlier they can act to prevent a life-threatening event,” she said.
Ms McGowan said the report highlighted the direct association between six of the seven key risk factors and stroke.
“Too many families continue to be devastated by strokes that could have been prevented. By making simple lifestyle changes or seeking treatment for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, people could avoid the suffering and disability caused by stroke,’’ Ms McGowan said
“We need to help people understand their risk of stroke and other chronic diseases, and empower them to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle to avoid suffering a devastating health crisis.
“Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and adult disability in Australia. More focus must be given to prevention, earlier diagnosis and referral of patients at risk of chronic disease. GPs and primary care providers play an important role here.
“This report highlights the critical need for an integrated health check program to detect the risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic kidney disease or type 2 diabetes.
“We must get better at identifying those who are at high risk of becoming sick, and stopping them from joining the more than seven million Australians who are already living with a chronic disease.”
An Integrated Health Check includes two major steps:
- GPs check eligible patients for vascular and related conditions through an ‘Integrated Health Check’ which includes an absolute cardiovascular risk assessment, diabetes check and kidney disease check;
- GPs manage the overall risk profile of patients, stratify risk (high, moderate, low) and address their combined risk factors through advice about healthy eating, healthy physical activity and healthy weight, medical management and/or facilitating and coordinating access to evidence based prevention programs.
