In the Capricornia electorate, significant health concerns include 8,365 individuals with diabetes, making up approximately 7.4% of the population. High blood pressure affects 18,655 people, or about 16.5% of residents. The prevalence of high cholesterol stands at 13,164, while 11,138 residents are current daily smokers, representing nearly 10%. Furthermore, 14,876 individuals are physically inactive, and a staggering 72,975 are classified as overweight or obese.
Comparatively, the state of Queensland shows higher totals in these health issues. The state reports 290,800 diabetes cases (7%), 1,021,200 with high blood pressure (23%), and 2,854,000 people (64%) are overweight or obese. Smoking and physical inactivity rates at the state level are also notable at 10% and 12%, respectively.
More than 80 percent of strokes can be prevented, and stroke prevention remains the most effective means of reducing the impact of stroke in Australia.
Stroke Foundation is committed to reducing the number of preventable strokes in our community, by empowering more Australians to recognise the risk factors for stroke that can be changed, and in doing so increase their chances of preventing stroke.
Stroke Foundation delivers campaigns and programs to raise awareness of important modifiable risk factors for stroke such as high blood pressure. We have also developed behaviour modification programs aimed at primary and secondary stroke prevention.
To learn more about what we are doing to help prevent stroke in our community, please visit Stroke Foundation’s website.
Stroke is a medical emergency, requiring urgent medical attention; however, with the right treatment at the right time, many people can recover from stroke.
‘Time is brain’ stroke treatments, including thrombolysis (clot-dissolving treatment) and endovascular thrombectomy (blood clot removal treatment), are saving lives and reducing disability in survivors of stroke.
Building on time-critical treatment, access to stroke unit care, characterised by provision of care in one location by a multidisciplinary team including medical, nursing and allied health professionals with expertise in stroke, is proven to make the biggest difference to patient outcomes following stroke, both in hospital and after.
Stroke Foundation is committed to supporting hospitals and health professionals to strengthen their capabilities in the delivery of best-practice, evidence-based stroke treatment and care.
To learn more about what we are doing to support Australian clinicians and hospitals to improve the quality of stroke treatment and care for all Australians, please visit Stroke Foundation's website.
The impact of stroke is far reaching, and well beyond discharge from hospital a significant proportion of survivors of stroke have yet to make a full recovery.
Many survivors speak of falling into a ‘black hole’ once they are discharged from hospital. The often profound and prolonged brain injury resulting from stroke can severely impact a survivor’s ability to navigate an often-complex health and welfare system. This can add time and frustration to their recovery, and lead to poorer health outcomes, and hospital readmissions.
Stroke Foundation is committed to reaching out to those impacted by stroke to ensure more Australians can connect with and access trustworthy information, resources, and post-stroke support.
To learn more about what we do to support Australian survivors of stroke, and their families and carers, with their stroke recovery and life after stroke, please visit Stroke Foundation's website.