Aussies missing the beat
October 15, 2013
A NEW survey released today
has demonstrated that while 90%
of Australians know if their blood
pressure is high, only 42% know
what their heart rate is, or if it is
regular or not.
An irregular heart rate or heart
arrhythmia is commonly a sign of
atrial fibrillation (AF), a major risk
factor for stroke.
The survey of >1,000 Australians
which was sponsored by Bristol-
Myers Squibb (BMS) and Pfizer
also showed that 1 in 4 identify
stroke as a major health concern
alongside cancer and diabetes,
but 34% did not know it could be
prevented, and 48% do not know
how stroke occurs.
At the same time, almost 60%
had not hear of AF even though
it affects an estimated 500,000
Australians and of the 45,000 firstever
strokes each year, a third have
AF to blame.
Atrial Fibrillation Association
founder and ceo, Trudie Lobband,
encourages Australians to know
their heart rate and regularly check
their pulse to monitor for changes.
“The survey shows a significant
lack of awareness about heart
health and how it applies to stroke
prevention,” Lobband said.
“We were quite surprised to find
that more than a third of those
surveyed did not know if their heart
rate was ‘normal’”.
The survey coincided with a visit
to Australia by Michael Ezekowitz,
Professor of Medicine at Thomas
Jefferson Medical College in
Philadelphia and Director of AF
Research at the Cardiovascular
Research Foundation NY.
In a series of presentations
and webinars to health care
professionals, Ezekowitz said that
the advent of novel anticoagulants
(NOACs) mean that millions of
patients worldwide with AF will
benefit from “significant stroke
reduction”.
August saw the first PBS listing
of the NOACs with the once-aday
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) (PD 17
Jul) followed in September by
Eliquis (apixaban) and Pradaxa
(dabigatran) (PD 13 Aug).
Professor Ezekowitz also outlined
the pharmacist’s role in counselling
their AF patients whether they are
on warfarin or a NOAC.
He emphasized that compliance is
critical and that patients need to be
educated about its importance and
to take the therapy very seriously.
He recommended they wear
a medical alert bracelet and be
thoroughly schooled on how to use
their medication.
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