People suffering from high blood pressure are not taking their condition seriously enough and could find themselves at risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease, according to a new survey.
Dr Andrew Boyden, Clinical Adviser at NPSMedicineWise, said he was concerned at the lack of awareness in the community.
“With high blood pressure so prevalent—affecting 1 in 3 adult Australians—people need to be aware of the health risks associated with the condition and the importance of identifying and managing it to reduce these serious risks,” Dr Boyden said.
“Blood pressure measurement is an important component of cardiovascular disease risk assessment. If your blood pressure is consistently high, your health professional will emphasise the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and may also recommend prescription medicines to lower your blood pressure and reduce your future risk of having a heart attack or stroke or developing kidney disease.”
The survey found that:
- 1 in 3 surveyed Australians were unaware of the link between high blood pressure and heart attack, heart failure and heart disease
- 1 in 3 surveyed Australians didn’t realise there is a link between high blood pressure and having a stroke. Half of surveyed respondents in the 35-49 age group were unaware of this risk.
- 96% of surveyed Australians didn’t know there was a link between high blood pressure and kidney disease.
Dr Boyden said he was equally concerned by the apparent un-willingness of high blood pressure sufferers to reduce their health risk by making changes to their lifestyle.
According to the survey:
- 1 in 3 were not exercising more
- 1 in 5 reported not lowering their salt intake
- 2 in 3 people who were advised to lose weight—didn’t
- 50% of people who were advised to quit smoking—didn’t.
“Maybe some people are not making healthy lifestyle changes because they are unaware of the serious health risks associated with high blood pressure,” Dr Boyden said.
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