It's the Heart Health Week 2021

It’s Heart Health Week!

Author:

Di Mears, Registered Nurse with GPs on Curzon

Cardiovascular Disease accounts for more than one in four deaths, and thousands of hospitalisations in Australia each year yet is largely preventable. During the midst of the Covid Pandemic, many medical services were disrupted while we were unable to move around freely, and now it is time to get back on track. Having a healthy lifestyle is important and you can make positive changes by improving your diet, being active, quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol intake to improve your heart health.

GPs on Curzon, in association with the Heart Foundation is participating in a promotion pilot program to help boost preventative checks for cardiovascular disease. If you are aged between 45 & 75 (or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons 35 & above) you may be eligible. Ask your doctor or nurse about a Heart Health Check. Just 20 minutes spent having a Heart Health Check is a positive step to protecting and improving your health both now and in the future.

GPs on Curzon was also successful in attaining a grant from the Australian Practice Nurses Association, to set up a nurse led clinic. GPs on Curzon – Improve Your Heart Health clinic is focussed on engaging with two groups of patients – those who have coronary heart disease and those eligible for Heart Health Checks. We strive to reduce the risk of further cardiac events for those with cardiovascular disease, identifying individual needs and connecting them with the most appropriate care providers to gain the best outcomes.

To all our wonderful patients we hope this helps you to make positive steps for your health.

Message from the National Heart Foundation

Last year we saw patients postpone or forgo a wide variety of services, ranging from emergency treatment of acute conditions to routine check-ups, like Heart Health Checks. Primary care clinicians face a backlog of patients in need of preventative and chronic disease related cardiovascular care. Even during a period of competing priorities, the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease has never been so critical.

We have developed one-stop digital resources to help general practice health professionals to assess and manage cardiovascular disease risk in line with the latest evidence and guidance. The Heart Week promotional pack includes social media and website tiles, messages to share with your patients, online resources and posters for your practice.

If you would like to order hard copy resources, please visit the Heart Foundation Shop. Health Professionals may order up to 50 x copies FREE.

This Heart Week, you are invited to attend a webinar, Driving Best Practice CVD Prevention in a Post-COVID World. We are bringing together international and local CVD experts for an engaging discussion on the latest evidence for CVD prevention in primary care, including an update on coronary artery calcium scoring. The event is held in partnership with Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) and the World Heart Federation.

See details of webinar session below:

Title	Driving Best Practice CVD Prevention in a Post-COVID World
When	Wednesday 5th May 8.00-9.00pm AEST
Where	Live and recorded, free Zoom webinar
Speakers	A/Prof Erin Michos (international keynote speaker, preventative cardiologist – John Hopkins) Prof Garry Jennings (Chief Medical Advisor – Heart Foundation) A/Prof Ralph Audehm (experienced GP – University of Melbourne) Siobhan Cheeseman (experienced practice nurse)
Registration Link	https://heartfoundation-au.zoom.us/webinar/register/1016172298424/WN_Nl-0JVlBSkCU72j7sNBttA