WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE – WHY IS IT SO

IMPORTANT?DIANNA LYNCH

OVERVIEW:

• WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE?

• BY THE NUMBERS

• RISK FACTORS

• WHAT CAN WE DO? – TREATMENT

• CARDIAC REHABILITATION

• WORKPLACE FACILITATION

• REFERENCES

WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE?

• CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS A COLLECTIVE TERM FOR DISEASES OF THE HEART AND BLOOD

VESSELS. (1)

• THE TERM COMMONLY INCLUDES DISEASES SUCH AS CORONARY HEART DISEASE, HEART

FAILURE, CARDIOMYOPATHY, CONGENITAL HEAT DISEASE, PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE AND

STROKE.

• MANY OF THESE DISEASES CAN BE LIFE THREATENING.

• DUE TO TIME LIMITATIONS – THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE FOCUSSING ON ISCHAEMIC HEART

DISEASE AND ANGINA

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

ANGINA

BY THE NUMBERS

Source: Heart Research Centre, 2015 Annual Report

MORTALITY: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AUSTRALIA, RESULTING IN 43,946

DEATH IN 2012 (30% OF ALL DEATHS) (5)

RISK FACTORS

• NON-MODIFIABLE

AGE

SEX

ETHNICITY/ GENETICS

PERSONALITY TRAIT

RISK FACTORS

• MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS

BLOOD PRESSURE

CHOLESTEROL

EXERCISE/ LIFESTYLE (INCLUDING SLEEP)

DIET

COMORBIDITIES – DIABETES, SLEEP APNOEA

MENTAL HEALTH (STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, PERSONALITY TYPE)

WEIGHT/ INCREASED BMI

SMOKING

ALCOHOL INTAKE

ILLICIT DRUGS

RISK FACTORS

• ENVIRONMENTAL

CHEMICAL – PASSIVE SMOKING, CARBON MONOXIDE, FUMES, INDUSTRIAL SOLVENTS, DIESEL FUMES,

ARSENIC, PESTICIDES, CCA (11)

IMPORTANCE OF PPE, SAFE WORK PRACTICES, WELL VENTILATED ENVIRONMENT

NON-CHEMICAL - SHIFT WORK, EXCESSIVE OVERTIME, ISOLATION

ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT

• HEALTH CHECKS, GP REVIEW AND REFERRAL

• BLOOD TESTS

• NON-INVASIVE (ECG, EST, ECHO, CARDIAC MRI)

• CORONARY ANGIOGRAM

• ANGIOPLASTY/ STENT INSERTION

• CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS

ONCE DEVELOPED, CORONARY HEART DISEASE IS A LIFELONG CHRONIC

DISEASE – THERE IS NO CURE – THIS IS A DISEASE THAT REQUIRES ONGOING

MANAGEMENT

CARDIAC REHABILITATION (CR)

• CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND REHABILITATION (CR) IS A COMPREHENSIVE

CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR REDUCTION SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH, OR AT HIGH RISK OF,

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

• PARTICIPATION IN CR HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE RISK FACTORS, IMPROVE QUALITY OF

LIFE, AND DECREASE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY.

• CR IS PROVIDED TO DELIVER EDUCATION: MEDICATION, EXERCISE, RETURN TO WORK, DRIVING,

MACHINERY

BENEFITS OF CARDIAC REHABILITATION (7)

• BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF RISK FACTORS

• ACCELERATED RECOVERY

• IMPROVED CLINICAL OUTCOMES (E.G.

IMPROVED CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE)

• IMPROVED BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOMES (E.G.

EXERCISE TOLERANCE, SMOKING CESSATION)

• REDUCED REPEAT CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS

AND HOSPITAL READMISSIONS

• STRENGTHENED ADHERENCE TO

MEDICATION

• ENHANCED MENTAL HEALTH AND OVERALL

QUALITY OF LIFE

• IMPROVED SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT

• INCREASED 5 YEAR SURVIVAL AND REDUCED

ALL CAUSE MORTALITY

WORKPLACE FACILITATION

• THE AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION ESTIMATES THAT SMALL INVESTMENTS IN

HEALTH PREVENTION PROGRAMS CAN EITHER REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OR REDUCE THE

IMPACT OF CHRONIC DISEASE ON THE CAPACITY TO WORK (8)

• THE RECENT HEART FOUNDATION HEART ATTACK SURVIVOR SURVEY (2013) CONFIRMED THAT

PATIENTS AREN’T RECEIVING THE SUPPORT THEY NEED AFTER A HEART ATTACK (9)

BUSINESS BENEFITS OF PROMOTING HEALTH & WELLBEING

• INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

• BETTER STAFF DECISION MAKING

• REDUCED RISK OF ACCIDENTS AND HEALTH RELATED LITIGATION

• REDUCED SICK LEAVE & ABSENTEEISM

• REDUCED LONG-TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS

• REDUCED STAFF TURNOVER/ REDUCED HIRING COSTS INCREASED RETURN ON TRAINING &

DEVELOPMENT

• FEWER WORKER COMPENSATION CLAIMS

DIRECT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (10)

• INCREASED MORALE, JOB SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION

• DECEASED STRESS & OTHER WORK RELATED ILLNESS

• IMPROVED PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASES

• INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY GAINS

HOW CAN THIS BE ACHIEVED

• ENGAGE STAFF & PROMOTE STAFF CHAMPIONS TO FACILITATE CHANGE

• ASK STAFF FOR CREATIVE IDEAS TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT

• WORKPLACE ASSESSMENT TO OPTIMISE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT

• CREATE HEALTHY COMPETITION BETWEEN WORKSITES WITH FINANCIAL, SOCIAL INCENTIVES

• UTILISATION OF WORKPLACE TECHNOLOGY (E.G. SKYPE, TELECONFERENCE FOR HEALTH CHECKS)

• IMPLEMENT YEARLY HEATH CHECKS AS A COMPONENT OF ANNUAL REVIEWS

• PROMOTION OF HEALTHY FOODS AT WORKSITES

• INCREASE EXERCISE OPPORTUNITIES

• INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL TO HOST ONSITE VISITS FROM ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS: HEART

FOUNDATION, CANCER COUNCIL, DIABETES AUSTRALIA, BEYOND BLUE

• EMBED HEALTH & WELLBEING INTO WORKPLACE POLICIES & PRACTICES

REFERENCES

• 1. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ‘CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE’ AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AT WWW.HEALTH.GOV.AU

• 2. AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS. CAUSES OF DEATH 2013 (3303.0). MARCH 2015.

• 3. AIHW. HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURE ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES 2008-09. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE SERIES .

CAT.NO. CVD 65.

• 4. NICHOLS M, PETERSON K, ALSTON L, ALLENDER S. AUSTRALIAN HEART DISEASE STATISTICS 2015. MELBOURNE: NATIONAL HEART FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA, 2016.

• 5. DEATHS FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE 2016, AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT

• 6. AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS: 3303.0 - CAUSES OF DEATH, AUSTRALIA, 2014 QUALITY DECLARATION LATEST ISSUE RELEASED AT 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/03/2016

• 7. AUSTRALIAN CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION (ACRA) 2015, CARDIOVASCULAR CORE COMPONENTS

• 8. AEGIS CONSULTING AUSTRALIA & HAPIA, 2008 DRAFT SUBMISSION TO THE NHHRC REVIEW OF THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH SYSTEM

• 9. NATIONAL HEART FOUNDATION, 2013 CARDIAC REHABILITATION FACTSHEET

• 10. WORKSAFE, ACT 2012, GUIDE TO PROMOTING HEALTH & WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE

• 11. CHOW, C ET AL, 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL INFLUENCES ACTING ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND DISEASE AT A POPULATION LEVEL: A REVIEW, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, VOL 38, ISSUE 6