How Nurses On A Roadtrip Want To Help You Avoid Ending Up Like This, Or Worse
Heart disease is the single biggest killer of Australians, and a team of nurses from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, are on a journey to save thousands of lives.
The biggest ever mobile public health check tour is hitting the road in greater western Sydney, as part of 50 stops across New South Wales and the ACT.
It's offering free heart health checks, which only take a few minutes to complete, but could detect a ticking time bomb.
Sydney father Chris Minol, 45, had open-heart surgery a year ago, after the sudden death of a friend prompted him to have his heart checked.
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"Basically the reason I'm here today is because of having a test done."
"I ended up having a triple bypass operation in July last year after being flagged with having high cholesterol," Minol told 10 News First.
On Thursday, he joined a team of nurses at Rouse Hill Town Centre in Sydney's west to encourage the public to get their hearts tested.
"They found a 95 per cent blockage in the left descending coronary artery, and yeah, I was basically apparently one stressful event from more than likely a fatal heart attack," Minol said.
Between 5000 and 6000 people are expected to be tested on the tour.
"Heart disease is still a number one killer of Australians, and one in three people have one of those three risk factors outside of the healthy range," said Jayne Baric, from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
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She says it's important to be checked as 25 per cent of heart attack victims have no prior symptoms, and 32 per cent of those tested, are then recommended to visit their GP.
The test looks for the classic signs of potential heart disease: elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and high cholesterol.
These are known as modifiable risk factors which contribute to heart disease.
"It's really about lifestyle change, so diet and exercise," Baric said.
Those wanting to get their hearts checked, can do so here:
18-19 July 2019 -- Rouse Hill Town Centre
22 July 2019 -- Westfield Liverpool
30 July 2019 -- Oran Park Podium
31 July 2019 -- Narellan Town Centre
1 August 2019 -- Macarthur Square Campbelltown
2 August 2019 -- Tahmoor Town Centre Picton
8 August 2019 -- Stafford Cottage Bowral
9 August 2019 -- Goulburn Square
12 August 2019 -- Westfield Penrith
For more information click here.
Contact the author ahogg@networkten.com.au