Heart Disease
Heart disease is still often seen as an older man's disease and thus not a priority for many people, says Heart Research Australia CEO Floyd Larsen - despite it being Australia's leading cause of death.
This February, the organisation is hoping to alert Australians to the risk factors for heart disease - from high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure to smoking, being overweight and poor dietary behaviour - and hopes pharmacists can help take an educative role.
Heart Research Month in February will feature the RedFeb campaign, including fund-raising via the RedFeb Relay, where Australians can walk, run, swim, cycle and wheel around and contribute their kilometres to the virtual fun run around Australia. (One lap around the country is 27,650km.)
"We did some market research last year and found out that 35% of people wrongly believe the risk of heart disease is solely due to lifestyle," says Mrs Larsen. "Four times as many women die of heart disease as breast cancer; three times as many men from heart disease compared to prostate cancer.
"In effect, two-thirds of families are affected. If you combined all cancer each year, heart disease actually represents more deaths. All cancers combined represent 29% of deaths; heart disease, 34%.
"Each year in February, our goal is to encourage more Australians to move their heart health up their list of priorities, especially women.
"There's a misconception that it's an old man's disease, which is something we're really working on. Heart disease is responsible for more than 25% of premature deaths in women."
Pharmacists can help underscore the importance of knowing risk factors, Mrs Larsen told the AJP on Friday. She also encouraged pharmacists and their staff to create a team for the relay and raise funds for heart research.
"Smoking rates are declining, especially among young people; that's good news. The bad news is that our waist measurements have increased across all age groups. This is a modifiable risk factor.
"Modifiable means the patient can take action straightaway to reduce their risk. The pharmacist can let them know that always seeking medical advice before changing the diet is very important, for example."
Pharmacies offering services such as blood pressure checks, weight loss programs and nutrition advice can use RedFeb as a means of starting a conversation about these modifiable risk factors, she says.
"These are wonderful value-add services pharmacies can do for their customers. We'd love the pharmacy industry to really get behind this campaign and turn their pharmacies red!"
Heart Research Australia has resources including heart disease fact sheets, which pharmacies can make available in-store.
More information: www.redfeb.com.au
Reproduced from AJP on Fridays 17/1/14
