Forget Pride - Every Minute Counts to Survive a Heart Attack
Who cares if it turns out to be a false alarm - if you have the symptoms call the ambulance
Health Minister Stephen Robertson today urged Queenslanders not to let pride fool them into ignoring signs they may be suffering a heart attack.
“Approximately 25,000 Australians die from coronary heart disease each year; including more than 4,500 Queenslanders,” he said.
“More than half of all heart attack deaths occur before the patient reaches hospital and a quarter die within an hour of their first symptoms.
“If people suffer symptoms like chest pain, upper body discomfort or have difficulty breathing they should immediately telephone Triple 0 for an ambulance.
“Every minute counts so don’t ignore the warning signs.
“No one is going to think you’re silly if you go to hospital only to find out you didn’t suffer a heart attack after all.
“Surviving a heart attack is much more important than preserving your pride.”
Mr Robertson said heart disease remains one of the leading causes of avoidable hospitalisation in Queensland.
“Approximately 33,000 Queenslanders are hospitalised each year for heart-related disease.
“Many of these hospitalisations are avoidable if people make simple lifestyle choices to minimise their risk of developing heart disease.
“Risk factors that contribute to heart disease include medical conditions such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical inactivity and obesity.
“By changing your lifestyle and behaviours you can help reduce your risk of experiencing a cardiac event.”
Mr Robertson said to ensure good health, people should aim to:
* Avoid smoking
* Eat healthy foods to help lower blood cholesterol
* Be physically active
* Control their blood pressure
* Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Heart problems are not confined to adults. Many young children suffer from heart problems too. More information about Heart Kids Queensland can be found at the website http://www.health.qld.gov.au/qldheartkids
