17 May is World Hypertension Day, and the National Hypertension Taskforce urges everyone to prioritise their health by getting their blood pressure checked.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the number one risk factor for Australia’s top three killers: coronary heart disease, stroke, and dementia. It is also the leading preventable cause of death in Australia.
One in three Australian adults have high blood pressure, but only half of them know they have it. We cannot treat and control high blood pressure if people remain unaware of their condition. This has major health equity and economic implications across Australia.
To address this national health problem, the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance and Hypertension Australia joined forces to establish the National Hypertension Taskforce with the with the aim to significantly improve Australian blood pressure control rates from 32% to 70% by 2030. The Taskforce is a national collaboration of 25 organisations across the health spectrum including peak bodies, researchers, clinicians, and consumers with lived experience.
“High blood pressure control in Australia has fallen well behind other countries which is a great risk to the health of Australians,” says Professor Alta Schutte, co-lead of the National Hypertension Taskforce. “But we can do something to stop this. High blood pressure is a modifiable risk factor which can be controlled to prevent adverse consequences.”
“Hypertension is also known as the ‘silent killer’ because it often has no noticeable symptoms,” says Professor Markus Schlaich National Hypertension Taskforce co-lead. “Blood pressure measurement is the only accurate way of identifying it, and therefore a key step in prevention. To truly achieve our objectives, we need to create wide-scale opportunities for population-based screening and raised awareness.”
World Hypertension Day coincides with May Measurement Month, a global blood pressure screening campaign known as #TheBigSqueeze, now in its 7th year in Australia. From May to July, volunteers across Australia offer free blood pressure checks at various locations. This year’s theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer,” resonates with the National Hypertension Taskforce’s mission.
“Collaboration is essential for driving meaningful change,” says Australian Cardiovascular Alliance CEO Kerry Doyle PSM OAM. “We’re proud to work with our partner Hypertension Australia and unite with so many organisations, institutes and individuals in support of May Measurement Month and World Hypertension Day.”
You can download the press release HERE.
You can find more information about the National Hypertension Taskforce HERE or at #HypertensionTaskforce.
Media enquiries
Australian Cardiovascular Alliance – Kerry Doyle, CEO, acva@ozheart.org
NSW/ACT – Professor Alta Schutte, Co-Chair National Hypertension Taskforce, a.schutte@unsw.edu.au
WA – Professor Markus Schlaich, President Hypertension Australia, Co-Chair National Hypertension Taskforce, markus.schlaich@uwa.edu.au
SA – Professor Nigel Stocks, Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, nigel.stocks@adelaide.edu.au
Victoria – Associate Professor Jun Yang, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Jun.Yang@hudson.org.au
Tasmania – Professor Mark Nelson, Professor of General Practice, University of Tasmania, mark.nelson@utas.edu.au
Queensland – Professor Michael Stowasser, University of Queensland, m.stowasser@uq.edu.au