Barker in Australias top 10 for all wrong reasons

Stroke Foundation

The Barker electorate has claimed two top 10 Australian rankings but residents are being encouraged to work together to change this.

A recent Deloitte study found 28 per cent of the Barker population over the age of 15 has high blood pressure, and 15 per cent has high cholesterol, placing the electorate 2nd highest in Australia in both categories.

That equates to an estimated 40,727 living with high blood pressure and 22,166 people living with high cholesterol. These figures are concerning because high blood pressure and high cholesterol are two modifiable stroke risk factors.

Unfortunately awareness that high blood pressure is a key risk factor of stroke is dropping in Barker – something Stroke Foundation would like to change.

Every year, Stroke Foundation surveys thousands of Australians on their awareness of the most common signs and risks of stroke. The most recent F.A.S.T survey of 5,000 people, revealed the Barker electorate’s awareness of high blood pressure as a stroke risk factor declined by seven per cent in 2021 compared to the year before.

Stroke Foundation Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa Murphy, says by turning this number around, strokes can be prevented.

“We know that 80 per cent of strokes are preventable and lowering blood pressure has been conclusively shown to prevent both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes.”

Dr Murphy says awareness is key to prevention and treatment.

” It’s important that people recognise the risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, so they can make lifestyle changes where applicable and reduce their risk of having a stroke.”

She says there are several things that can be done to lower high blood pressure.

“One of the keys to preventing and lowering high blood pressure is firstly knowing you have high blood pressure so it’s crucial to get regular health checks with your GP. If you’ve been identified as having high blood pressure, you can control it by changing your diet and lifestyle, particularly through regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.”

In positive news, the F.A.S.T survey found that Barker residents’ awareness of the common signs of stroke (Facial droop, inability to lift both Arms and slurred Speech), improved across the board when compared to the year before.

In total, 74 per cent of Barker residents could recall at least one of the F.A.S.T signs of stroke when unprompted, and 64 per cent correctly identified all three F.A.S.T signs when prompted.

Dr Murphy has commended Barker residents but says the hard work cannot stop here. She is urging the community to spread the word.

“Stroke Foundation’s aim is for someone in every workplace and household to know the F.A.S.T acronym. I’d encourage everyone to learn the signs and share it with their friends and family because we know this acronym saves lives and leads to better treatment and recovery.”

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