At times it’s seemed like COVID-19 is the only thing that’s happened in the news this year – but the grim reality is other problems haven’t disappeared.
New figures from the Heart Foundation, released as part of World Heart Day this week, show an alarming number of Australians skipped their critical heart check-up this year.
A survey of more than 5,000 Australian adults showed people with heart disease were more likely to have missed or delayed an appointment with their GP between April and August this year (27 per cent versus 17 per cent).
There are approximately 2.1 million Australians believed to be living with or at high risk of heart disease at the moment. The Heart Foundation says around 500,000 of these people have skipped a potentially life-saving check-up during the pandemic.
Time to see your GP
On one hand, with restrictions severely limiting movements, it’s understandable.
But on the other, heart disease remains one of the nation’s biggest killers.
It’s for this reason Heart Foundation general manager of heart health Bill Stavreski urges any Australian who can, to go and get a regular heart check-up.
“Heart disease doesn’t stop during a pandemic,” Mr Stavreski says.
“It is vital that you continue to monitor your heart health and stay in contact with your GP, and there are options to do this safely via telehealth or in person.”
Mr Stavreski adds 30 per cent of people surveyed were still avoiding GP appointments, despite restrictions in most states and territories being lifted in August.
There’s also been an alarming dip in the number of people discussing blood pressure and cholesterol with their GPs.
“Getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked is an essential part of managing your risk of heart disease, so we would urge Australians not to put it off any longer,” Mr Stavreski said.
Makes sense to us. If you’re in a position to attend a check-up, you probably should.
