We Challenge you!

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Australian women. But it doesn’t have to be – you can do something about it

There is no single cause of heart disease, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing it. There are two different types of risk factors: lifestyle and clinical. Lifestyle risk factors include smoking, poor nutrition, physical inactivity and being overweight. Clinical risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Risk factors also include a family history of heart disease or heart attacks.

In Australia, 90% of women have one risk factor and 50% of women have two or three risk factors.² The more risk factors, the greater the risk of heart disease.

But the good news is heart disease is largely preventable, because most risk factors can be managed or reduced. You just need to educate yourself, and the women you love, about heart disease and how to reduce your risk of developing it.

The 2012 Healthy Heart Challenge is here to help you do that.

Launched in 2011, the Challenge involves making simple changes to help reduce your risk of heart disease. It’s free and it runs for six weeks from 4 June until 15 July

Last year more than 17,000 women took part and of those surveyed afterwards:

• 82% were eating their recommended two serves of fruit every day
• 76% were eating their recommended five serves of vegetables every day
• 18% quit smoking
• 8% were able to stop taking their heart related medicine as advised by their doctor.

Many women think heart disease is only for older men to worry about, yet women are almost four times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer.¹ There’s a lot more you should know about heart disease, including the risk factors and signs. Don’t let a heart attack be your first sign of heart disease. 

How to sign up

Registrations for the 2012 Healthy Heart Challenge are now closed, however you can still make a difference to your heart health and be part of Go Red for Women.  Sign up to receive our bi-monthly Go Red e-newsletter or visit goredforwomen.org.au to find out more.