Every 29 minutes, someone in Australia dies from coronary heart disease. That's around 50 deaths a day.
Coronary heart disease is the single biggest killer of Australians, according to figures released on Friday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), accounting for more than 10 per cent of all deaths in the country. And the number is rising.
There was a four per cent rise in coronary heart disease deaths in 2019, up from 17,533 in 2018 according to the ABS Causes of Death data.
Last year, 10,822 Australian men and 7422 women died from coronary heart disease. The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died from it increased (from 390 in 2018 to 405 last year). Heart disease continues to be the single leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, representing about 12 per cent of all deaths.
Coronary heart disease occurs when fatty deposits known as plaque build up in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. These fatty deposits reduce the amount of oxygen-rich blood getting to the heart muscle, which can cause heart attacks and angina.
The Heart Foundation's Director of Health Strategy, Julie Anne Mitchell, said the increase in deaths from coronary heart disease is concerning.
"Over about 50 years, there has been a decline in heart disease deaths in Australia, so it is disappointing to see the uptick in the figures released today," Ms Mitchell said.
"This is not a trend we would want to see continue, given the sad toll that heart disease takes on patients and their families.
"The Heart Foundation is committed to bringing these numbers down. Fifty deaths a day is unacceptably high.
"We have seen rises in some risk factors for heart disease, such as overweight and obesity, as well as a lack of in-roads into others, like physical inactivity and poor nutrition.
"Add this to our high rates of high blood pressure and cholesterol, and it becomes clear there is still a lot of work to be done in encouraging Australians to understand and reduce their risk.
She said the good news is that heart disease is largely preventable and there's plenty that Australians can do to reduce their risk.
"This includes seeing your doctor for Medicare-funded Heart Health Check, but recent Heart Foundation research shows that thousands of Aussies with heart disease or at risk of heart disease are putting off health check-ups because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
"The Heart Foundation urges Australians to take heart disease and their heart health seriously. Seeing your GP for a Heart Health Check is your best chance to stay well, stay alive and stay out of hospital."
Find out your risk of heart attack or stroke by using the Heart Foundation's Heart Age Calculator. For heart health information and support phone 131-112 or visit www.heartfoundation.org.au