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Cardiovascular Health In Australia

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The prevention of cardiovascular health issues would be greatly beneficial to the overall health and wellbeing of Australia, through causing minimal strains on medical services and funding, however poor cardiovascular health is largely inevitable, as it is often resultant of an individual’s generally poor health and other issues. Cardiovascular health was selected as a National Health Priority partly due to the burden of disease on Australian society, but also the prominent behavioural, and changeable risk factors. Thus, by targeting and spreading awareness of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular health, and the harmful consequences they pose, whilst also developing new and more effective treatment methods, the burden of disease …show more content…

Whilst lifestyle changes like adopting a healthier diet, frequent physical activity and abstinence from toxic drugs and alcohol, particularly tobacco are considered the most influential and effective prevention of poor cardiovascular health. However, an individual’s awareness of family history and implementation of positive actions towards identifying the many risk factors often minimises the damages which poor cardiovascular health can provoke (J Healey, 2018). An individual’s consciousness, and awareness surrounding their blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, weight, and anything consumed; like nutrients, medications can ultimately become lifesaving, through understanding the interrelations of theses, and targeting any negative consequences, which would put a greater strain on their body, and thus their heart and overall cardiovascular health (J Healey, 2018). Cardiovascular health was also identified as a primary focus on the National Health and Medical Research Council during 2013, thus significant funding has been granted towards further research on the causes, effects and treatments surrounding these …show more content…

The Heart Foundation also became largely responsible for the ‘Tick Program’ which was established during 1989 and allowed consumers to make conscious and guided decisions towards healthier food options. As reportedly 2.8 million Australian’s look for The Heart Foundation’s Tick when shopping, the initiative also acted as an incentive for manufacturers to produce healthier and safer products, in order to maintain consumer expectations, and market share (The Heart Foundation, 2018). The Tick was a well-recognised logo in Australian society, and despite the controversies surrounding companies paying for its presence on their products, it remained well respected, and continually raised the quality of food, expectations, and consumer knowledge through the required inclusion of nutritional information, 13 years prior to its legal requirement (the Heart Foundation, 2018). Despite the program’s success over 26 years, the introduction of the Health Star Rating in 2014, lowered the requirement, and became an improvement on The Foundation’s Tick, through offering greater knowledge to consumers, and thus the Tick Program ended during 2015 (The Heart Foundation,

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