New data from the Australian Heart Foundation found that the rate of heart disease deaths is more than 50% higher in remote areas than in cities.
The data confirmed that 16 out of the 20 regions with the highest rate of heart disease deaths were in rural or regional Australia while 17 of 20 with the lowest rates were all metropolitan.
Risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking and obesity, were also found to be much higher in remote areas.
Heart Foundation Group CEO, Adjunct Professor John Kelly, said it wasn’t a coincidence that rural or regional areas with the highest rates of heart disease were also some of the most disadvantaged.
More risk for people living outback
“Unsurprisingly, we are also seeing alarming rates of risk factors in these hotspots, which has huge implications for residents’ future heart health,” Mr Kelly said.
The Northern Territory has the highest concentration of heart related deaths in Australia with 90 out of every 100,000, almost two-and-a-half times more than northern Sydney.
Professor Kelly said the Heart Foundation was committed to reducing the number of heart disease hospitalisations and deaths, especially in rural and regional areas.
So, what can you do if you are living in these higher risk areas?
The Heart Foundation is urging anyone who is 45 years or older, or any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander over the age of 30, to talk to their GP about a heart health check.
Sounds like wise advice to us.
