Did you know?

• Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. 
• Across all age groups Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are known to die from cardiovascular disease at more than twice the rate of other populations. 
• Indigenous people aged 25-45 years are 15 times more likely to suffer from a fatal heart event than other Australians.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have substantially higher levels of coronary heart disease and stroke than Indigenous populations found in New Zealand, Canadian and the United States.
• Indigenous Australians are three times more likely to suffer a major coronary event such as a heart attack and die before being admitted to hospital
• They are also are more likely than other Australians to die from a heart event after being admitted to hospital.
• The leading cardiovascular conditions are coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertensive disease and rheumatic heart disease.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have one of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the world.
• The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among Indigenous Australians is the highest in the world.

Indigenous cardiovascular disease community of practice

Since 2005 we have been working with the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet to develop an integrated knowledge resource, in the form of a major internet website. The development of an Indigenous cardiovascular disease Community of Practice is a critical element of this work and is available to all people interested in finding our more about Indigenous cardiovascular disease.

The Indigenous HeartInfoNetwork yarning place (electronic network) has been developed to enable people with an interest in addressing issues surrounding cardiovascular disease among Indigenous peoples to share information, knowledge and experience nationally across different sectors (such as health, education and justice) and organisations.