2. • The Better Health Outcomes for Australians(1994) identified 4
health areas for development of national goals and targets:
1. Cardiovascular disease
2. Cancer
3. Injury
4. Mental health
• The process was reviewed in 1995-96 and a fifth priority area was
added by the government in 1999
5. Asthma
• A further 2 priority areas were added in 2002 as a recognition of
the major health and economic burden these conditions place on
our community
6.Arthritis
7.Musculoskeletal conditions
3. • The National Health Priority Areas Initiatives aims to
improve health outcomes in each of the health priority
areas. It seeks to:
1. Monitor health outcomes and progress towards set
targets
2. Identify the most appropriate and cost-effective points
of intervention
3. Identify the most appropriate role for government and
non-government organisations in fostering the
adoption of best practice
4. Investigate some basic determinants of health, such as
education, employment, and socioeconomic status.
4. • What is it?
• CVD refers to damage to or disease of the heart,
arteries, veins and smaller blood vessels,
• Why has it been identified as priority area?
1. Because it is a major health and economic burden on
Australia.
2. It accounts for 36% of all deaths (2004)
3. There are significant differences in the incidence and
prevalence of the disease eg; indigenous people die
from the disease at twice the rate of the total
population
4. CVD can be attributed to a number of modifiable risk
factors. Therefore there is potential forchange.
5. Recent stats indicate there has been a decline in the
death rate from coronary heart disease.
5. • CVD is a general term covering all diseases of the and circulatory
system.
• There are 3 major forms of the disease
1. Coronary heart disease (the poor supply of blood to the muscular
walls of the heart by its own blood supply vessels, the coronary
arteries).
2. Stroke (the interruption of blood supply to the brain)
3. Peripheral vascular disease (disease of the blood vessels that
affect limbs, usually reducing blood supply to the legs).
6. • CVD is most evident in the forms of:
1. Stroke
2. Heart attack -Also known as myocardial infarction. Generally caused by a
complete closure of a coronary artery.
It can also occur when a blood clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery.
This is known as ‘thrombosis’.
3. Angina pectoris - This is the medical term used to describe the chest pain
that occurs when the heart has an insufficient supply of oxygenated
blood. Angina is not really a disease, but more a deprivation of oxygen.
4. Heart failure -This is a reflection of the hearts inability to cater for the
demands placed on it during everyday life. This is damage that has been
caused by other conditions eg; heart attack & atherosclerosis.
5. Peripheral vascular disease.
7. 1. Atherosclerosis- This is build up of fatty and fibrous
material in the interior walls of the arteries. This build
up hinders blood flow.
2. Arteriosclerosis- This is the hardening of the arteries
whereby artery walls lose their elasticity (flexibility)
8. • Risk factors can be
broken up into 2
major groups:
1. Non-modifiable risk
factors
2. Modifiable risk
factors
Non-Non-
modifiablemodifiable
ModifiableModifiable
AgeAge SmokingSmoking
GenderGender High fat dietHigh fat diet
Family HistoryFamily History HypertensionHypertension
HeredityHeredity ObesityObesity
CholesterolCholesterol
Lack of physicalLack of physical
activityactivity
AbdominalAbdominal
obesityobesity
10. • Tobacco smokers
• People with a family history of the disease
• People with high blood pressure
• People who consume a high fat-diet
• People aged over 65 years
• Males
• ‘Blue collar’ workers
• People who consume a lot of alcohol
