High blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, is the biggest risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and dementia, which are Australia’s top three causes of death.

Despite this, Australia lags behind countries such as Germany, Canada and the United States in blood pressure control rates.

One in three Australian adults have high blood pressure, but only half of them know they have it and only a third of them have it under control. is. This has significant health equity and economic implications across Australia, disproportionately impacting people living in regional and remote areas.

At a recent event at Parliament House in Canberra, the National Hypertension Task Force confronted federal MPs with the reality of these numbers in their constituencies and urged them to catalyze change and bring blood pressure management into their communities. He called on members of the Diet to do so.

The taskforce is a joint initiative of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance and Hypertension Society of Australia and has set a goal of increasing Australia’s controlled blood pressure from 32 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030.

The 25 members across the health sector include the Heart Foundation, Stroke Foundation, as well as Peak Body and experts. Society, clinicians, researchers, and consumers with lived experience.

Taskforce co-chair Professor Markus Schleich, Dobney Chair in Clinical Research at UWA’s Faculty of Medicine, encouraged MPs to lead by example by measuring their own blood pressure and to do the same for their constituents.

Professor Schleich said: “May Measurements Month is approaching, a global blood pressure awareness campaign encouraging everyone to measure their blood pressure during May.”

“Start by checking your blood pressure. Together, let’s make sure every Australian knows their numbers and can take control of their health.”

Belinda Bennett was 34 and pregnant with her first child when she discovered one of the biggest dangers of high blood pressure: silence. Although she was perfectly fine, she had life-threatening hypertension and pre-eclampsia that could have killed both her and her baby if not treated.

A few years later, her husband was told that he also had high blood pressure and his family doctor recommended that he take medication. He felt good too. He was fit and healthy, but he didn’t follow it up. At age 53, he suffered a heart attack and cardiac arrest. He was lucky to survive.

Bennett said most people don’t understand the importance of knowing and managing their blood pressure.

“But we need to change that,” she said. “We need people to understand how important their blood pressure is and to get it checked regularly.”

Parliamentary Friends of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Co-Chairs Maria Vanvakinou MP and Senator Wendy Askew hosted the Hypertension Taskforce event, sponsored by the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Hypertension Australia, Heart Foundation and Stroke Foundation. .