World Heart Day
World Heart Day is held annually on the 29th of September, which highlights the importance of looking after your heart health. Bundaberg Cardiologist, Dr Andre Conradie said fighting against heart disease is an important cause as it is the single leading cause of death in Australia.
Each day, an average of 21 Australians die from a heart attack. One patient is admitted to an Australian hospital with a heart attack every nine minutes*.
Part of managing Heart Disease is knowing your risk, there are many risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, according to the World Heart Federation.
These risk factors are:
- Physical inactivity
- Unhealthy diet
- Raised blood pressure
- Tobacco use
- Cholesterol
- Obesity and being overweight
- Diabetes
“Lowering cholesterol and blood pressure can help to reduce the risk of heart attack, even in patients who show no early signs of heart disease,” Dr Conradie said.
Photo: Dr Andre Conradie in the Cardiac Cath Lab where he performs life-saving procedures.
If you feel unwell and are having any of the following symptoms, please see your doctor:
- Chest discomfort
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
You can get a referral from your GP to the Cardiology Unit at The Friendlies, or for acute cases, you can present to the Emergency Department.
“The number of procedures completed in this theatre continues to grow every year and we are completing over 1000 procedures yearly.” Dr Conradie said
The Friendly Society Private Hospital’s Cardiac Investigations Unit means early diagnosis and intervention for patients who experience a cardiac episode, significantly improving their health outcomes. Research is a big part of the work done here and in some acute cases, the early intervention along with the right medication can be enough to keep the patient from needing surgery.
“We take great pride in our work and we carefully monitor our services, procedures and outcomes and benchmark it against national and international standards. The standard of care and outcomes is comparable to national and international standards.” Dr Conradie said
We provide comprehensive and integrated cardiology care that includes diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical services. Our state of the art equipment and top-ranked team of cardiologists allows for the comprehensive management of all acute cardiac emergencies including heart attacks, angioplasty and pacemaker procedures, rhythm monitoring and full haemodynamic pressure monitoring.
The Friendly Society Private Hospital’s Cardiac Investigations Unit means early diagnosis and intervention for patients who experience a cardiac episode, significantly improving their health outcomes. This field of medicine is supported by our Coronary Care Unit and Cardiac Step Down Unit.
Covid-19 Safe:
In the current environment, it is important to note that we offer a Covid-19 safe environment**, we have strict hygiene protocols, screening on arrival and social distancing in place. Your health is our main priority, so do not delay seeing a doctor if you are unwell.