Heart attacks kill 10,000 Australians each year and many could be avoided
September 06, 2017
By 2020 the total number of people affected is projected to be more than 110,000 and by 2050, 250,000 and Professor Chew says while advances in medical treatments will ensure the majority of these people will be kept alive but he says there remains a "major gap" in the way Australian hospitals treat ACS.
He has called for a national registry to be established which would require hospitals to provide key performance data on how they treat ACS - such a system would cost approximately $15 million to set up, with ongoing annual costs of up to $5 million but Professor Chew says compared to $18 billion a year, this pales into insignificance.
Experts from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and Heart Support Australia, say more should be done to lower the incidence of heart attack and unstable angina, and reduce the gaps in treatment and rehabilitation available, as treatment in the 12 months following an acute coronary incident was critical in returning patients to full health and preventing further attacks - however only 30% of people received or took up the range of care available - this includes rehabilitation, help with returning to work and education about medication.