YOU AND YOUR HEART

Coronary heart disease is a killer. It is by far the most important single cause of death in Australia and other affluent Western countries. The country with the highest coronary mortality rate for men is Finland, closely followed by Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the Republic of Ireland. The affluent English-speaking nations are all close to the top. Coronary heart disease is a third to a half as common in women as m men, and in the less developed countries of the world it is uncommon in both men and women. Where people have not had the dubious benefits of 'civilisation' it is virtually unknown,

Since the late 1960s, the death rate from heart attack has been falling in a number of countries, including Australia and the United States. The reasons for this welcome decline are obscure, but it has been suggested that it may be related to greater public awareness of the risk factors: the dangers of smoking, over-eating, too much fat in the diet, lack of exercise and high blood pressure. This awareness, coupled with better medical treatment, makes a first heart attack very unlikely to be fatal and can even prevent any future attack. There may also be less heart disease because fewer people smoke and more take some exercise after leaving school.

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