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Monitor blood pressure to ward off risks to the heart

by Medindia Content Team on May 21 2006 5:26 PM

Health experts have issued a wake-up call to Australians to keep a check on their blood pressure, with an aim to bring down the number of deaths from heart disease Not surprising, since stroke is considered to be the third-largest cause of death in Australia.

The High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia and the National Stroke Foundation have cautioned people to ensure customary checks on their BP. A campaign “Know your number” is underway in Australia, following reports from a national survey that established, one out of two persons were ignorant about normal blood pressure and its readings.

Professor Garry Jennings, from the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia, said: "The problem with high blood pressure is that people tend to take it less seriously than other conditions because there are generally no symptoms. The reality is that high blood pressure can lead to damage of the blood vessels, heart, kidney and eyes, which may result in death usually by stroke, renal failure or heart failure."

Statistics have clearly revealed that one out of three Australians suffer high blood pressure. Some of the key factors that increase a person’s risk of suffering high blood pressure are high salt intake, obesity, smoking, age and stress.


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