VIC: Heart disease hits one family in three

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-1999
VIC: Heart disease hits one family in three

MELBOURNE, April 29 AAP - One in three Australian families were hit by the country's
leading killers - heart disease and stroke, a leading cardiologist said today.

Professor Andrew Tonkin, who is also the director of health, medical and scientific affairs
at the Heart Foundation, was speaking ahead of national Heart Week and a new fund-raising day
to be held next Friday, May 7.

"One in three Australian families has suffered from a member having heart disease or
stroke," he said.

"It's such a widespread problem that we're hoping Dress Red for Heart Day will bring our
major health problem to the community's attention."

Australians have been asked to wear red and buy badges to raise money for Hearts Day.

"Many people don't realise we (the Heart Foundation) depend on community support - that
we're a non-government organisation," Prof Tonkin said.

He said while there had been a decrease in the number of heart-related deaths over the past
40 years, cardiovascular disease was still a major public health problem.

Health experts were also predicting it would replace nutrition and transmittable diseases
as the world's biggest killer by 2020.

Prof Tonkin said heart disease cost Australia $3.7 billion a year but less than one per
cent of that was spent on prevention and education.

He said it was important to identify areas which needed change - such as diet and exercise
- and help people implement the changes.

AAP hmg/ra/jnb

KEYWORD: HEART

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