The most significant preventable contributors to heart disease relate to diet, physical activity, tobacco, and alcohol.2 But many people in Australia live in environments that make healthy behaviours hard.11 Action to enable heart health in all communities will contribute to overall health and wellbeing.
We must create heart-healthy environments and communities that give everyone the opportunity to live well, whatever their circumstances.
Fund research into emerging environmental risk factors for heart health, such as air pollution, climate change, and microplastics, and ensure its translation into practice.
Develop broad collaborations across health, education, environment, and social services sectors to raise awareness of, and develop prevention programs to address broader heart disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly among young people.
Promote the establishment of healthy communities, environments, and commercial systems that encourage heart-healthy choices. Focus on exercise, healthy built environments, food and nutrition, food security, labelling, and reformulation through collaboration with government and industry partners
Increase understanding of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors influencing heart health to guide prevention efforts and inform relevant public health policies.
Goal 1: Advance heart health equity
Goal 3: Prevent, detect, and manage risk early