Heart Health - One in five Australians continue to live with hypertension

What’s your BP like?  

Despite an estimated $1 billion dollars being spent on managing hypertension (high blood pressure) in this country, one in five Australian men and women continue to live with the condition – that figure may include employees in your workplace.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks, so its little surprise the condition continues to be a leading cause of death in this country.

According to the Heart Foundation’s in-depth look at an Australian Bureau of Statistics recent Health Survey; one million Australians are taking medication for high blood pressure yet their blood pressure is not reaching targets, while other hypertensive adults have completely unmanaged blood pressure – and some aren’t even aware they have it.

Major preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease are:

• Poor nutrition 
• High cholesterol levels
• Smoking
• A lack of exercise
• Diabetes
• Stress
• High alcohol consumption
• Being overweight or obese.

Do you know if any of your employees have experienced shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness or blurred vision on the job? It’s time to take the lead with a workplace Health Education Program– it could save the life of an employee, prevent heart attacks in the workplace and may even help improve productivity if staff are healthy and well.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as it’s pumped around the body by the heart. Blood pressure varies depending on your daily activities. It is usually lower when you are sleeping or resting, and higher when you are excited or stressed. Constant high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the major health concern and can cause harm if left untreated.

How is high blood pressure measured?

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers on a pressure-measuring instrument called a sphygmomanometer (120/80). The higher number indicates the pressure in the arteries as the heart squeezes blood out during each beat. This is called the systolic blood pressure. The lower number indicates the pressure as the heart relaxes before the next beat. This is called the diastolic blood pressure. 

Normal blood pressure is usually recorded as 120/80. If however your blood pressure comes in above 140/90, this shows your heart is working harder to do the same job. Most people with high blood pressure often don’t experience symptoms so the only way to tell is to have your blood pressure measured by your GP annually, more often if it’s high.

You can help employees in your workplace stay heart healthy by encouraging them to make modifications to their diet and lifestyle such as:

• Quitting smoking
• Removing high salt/high fat foods (vending machines) from work places
• Starting a staff exercise program
• Educating staff on eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes and wholegrains.
• Encouraging relaxation techniques to help manage stress.

Want to find out more about our Heart Health Programs? Call us today on 1800 663 062 and speak to one of our consultants.

Resources: Heart Foundation, Media Releases 2014: The Hidden Epidemic of High Blood Pressure. Core Health Consulting Project Health – Heart Health Fact Sheet.