Aboriginal Cardiovascular Disease

As a people, our rate of chronic disease is still 2.5 times higher than that of other Australians, and Indigenous people in this country die 15 to 20 years younger than those in mainstream Australia. More than half of

Aboriginal health standards are so low today that all most half aboriginal men and a third of the women die before they are 45. Aboriginal people can expect to live 20 years less than non-indigenous Australians. Aboriginals generally suffer from more health problem and are more likely to suffer from diabetes, liver disease and glaucoma. The causes of their poor health and low life expectancy are poverty, poor nutrition, poor housing, dispossession of their traditional land, low education level, high unemployment, drug and substance use, unsafe sex, limited health care and diseases.

“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1).

This paper will examine the healthcare of Indigenous Australian peoples compared to non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gaps between the two are a cause for alarm when statistics show Indigenous Australian peoples die on average 17 years earlier than non-indigenous Australians (Dick 2017). This paper will examine the social determinants of health to explore these factors and what interventions are in place to improve health status and life expectancy gaps for equality. The Federal Government has seen the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap Initiative. This essay will examine these two strategies and discuss the effectiveness of both policies. It will explain the differences, similarities and look at the success so far to

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

There are various politico-economic elements and policies; environmental and employment conditions; social and cultural influences and lifestyle of indigenous Australians which affect their health. Above all, there is poverty which contributes towards their poor health circumstances (Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet, 2014). The Indigenous Australians are powerless and generally face various kinds of deprivation that includes exclusion, material deprivation and unavailability of opportunities for study and employment. They are not capable enough to take part in society: socially, politically and culturally (Public Health Association of Australia, 2001). It is a general concept that when a person does not feel secure, is unemployed, not connected to his/her friends

In Australia, the health of indigenous peoples has been a long-standing concern for the government and the United Nations (U.N.) (Calma, 2007). Data from The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicates that indigenous Australians continue to live in conditions of enormous social and economic disadvantages which is reflected in the fact that there is gap in the life expectancy between Indigenous and non-indigenous a 17-year

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

There is a clear relationship between the social disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people and their current health status. These social disadvantages lead to a number of critical health issues. In Australia 2.5 per cent of the population is made up of Indigenous people. Within this population only 3% are 65 years of age or older, whereas 16.3% of the Australian population is over 65. (Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2012).

In order to prevent cardiovascular disease you must first limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Limiting how much saturated and Trans fat s you eat is the most important step you can take to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk

The most common risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are cigarette smoking, high serum cholesterol levels, inflammatory disease, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and psychosocial stress.

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many cardiovascular diseases start with a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. Besides atherosclerosis, heavy mercury intake can lead to various heart diseases. Mercury exposure can come from a variety of sources such as dental fillings, vaccines containing mercury, and seafood that contains high levels of mercury. We are exposed to these sources for a lifetime. In addition, the buildup of plaque can cause the arteries to become narrow and make it harder for blood to flow properly. Smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, are the causes of

There are many modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases. Non-modifiable risk factors include age, gender, race, family history whereas modifiable risk factors include smoking (active & passive), obesity, fatty foods with

The main risk factors that increase a persons chance of obtaining cardiovascular disease include smoking, obesity, high

Most of the cardiovascular diseases are preventable. The main risk factors for the cardiovascular disease are tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, family history, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia and. Most of the health care costs associated with these cardiovascular diseases can be reduced if the individuals can