Australia’s heart burden
December 2, 2011
THE number the number of
Australians dying from repeat heart
attack will rise by over 40% by 2020
according to the latest Access
Economics report released by Heart
Support Australia.
The ACS in Perspective: The
importance of secondary prevention
report found that at present the
cost of repeat events (including
Acute Coronary Syndromes, heart
attack and unstable angina) costs
the country $8.4 billion per annum.
According to the report, whilst
women are at a lower risk of having
a heart attack than their male
counterparts, they are much more
likely to die from both initial and
repeat events.
“Already the risk of death from a
repeat heart attack for women
(20.7%) is higher than men (13.7%),
and over the next ten years as the
large number of baby boomer
women enter high risk age groups,
we are likely to see a significant
increase in this risk,” said report
author, Lynne Pezzullo.
“Overall by 2020 repeat heart
attacks are expected to demand an
additional 9,000 hospital beds and
claim the lives of over 7,500
Australians each year,” she added.
In response to the report the
HSA has issued five key points to
reduce the risk and burden of
repeat heart attacks, and to protect
heart survivors in the short and
long term.
The first point highlights the need
for a structured framework for
patients post hospital discharge,
whilst the second recommends
100% referral to rehab programs
with active post discharge follow- up.
The third point pushes for high
quality ongoing maintenance
programs to support lifestyle
changes, whilst the fourth
recommends access for patients to
counselling and psychological
support services post event, and
the last urges that patients and
their families have access to “high
quality” information to support
sound decision making.
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