| Angela Wallace Take the pressure down
I’m not sure how it happened - by all accounts I should have been someone who knew better and led by example better, but I am human and caring for my heart was the last thing on my long to do list. I’m health researcher and I lecture in health and medicine, so I know all about the risk factors of heart disease, and the fact heart disease is the number one killer of Australian women. To add to this, I have a history of heart disease in my family - my mother had a heart attack at the age of 55. After a visit to my GP I was diagnosed with a blood pressure of 214/152, it was so extreme my doctor wanted to hospitalise me – I was 35 at the time.
When I heard about the Healthy Heart Challenge I jumped at the chance to get involved, it was a great way for me to continue on my health journey and get some expert info from the Go Red for Women team. I joined the Healthy Heart Challenge Facebook page, registered online and decided on a goal to lower my blood pressure. The updates and tips I received during the Challenge were easy to understand and helped me make healthier choices every day. What I really loved about the Healthy Heart Challenge was that it was about my overall wellbeing - not about how skinny I could be. If I could tell women one thing it would be to visit their GP for a heart check up - it’s quick, easy and painless. Once you’re armed with the facts the path forward is easier to navigate. I am 1 of the 1 million Australian women with high blood pressure; the only way to find out if you’re one of them too is to visit your GP. Don’t let the stories end here. Make your own by taking part in the Healthy Heart Challenge this year. You can inspire other women by sharing your story today.
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