Regular health checks are important to help you detect any early signs of health issues. As your most accessible health professional, your Malouf pharmacist can assist with a free, one on one Health Check. This simple check will test your blood pressure and glucose levels to help assess your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease leading to heart attacks and stroke. We’ll discuss the results and provide tips to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
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Blood Pressure Test
Blood pressure is an important cardiovascular disease risk factor. If your blood pressure is too high, it can increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, eye disease and other cardiovascular disease such as heart failure.
Your blood pressure measurement is made up of two parts:
- Pressure in the artery as the heart contracts called systolic pressure – the top number
- Pressure in the artery when the heart is between beats called diastolic pressure – the bottom number
High blood pressure or hypertension is defined by your systolic pressure being higher than 140mmHg and/or your diastolic pressure being higher than 90 mmHg, however your GP may set you a different target blood pressure based on your circumstances. Generally speaking, if your blood pressure is lower, your cardiovascular risk is lower. You often don’t present with any symptoms if you have high blood pressure, which is why it’s important to check; however, some people with high blood pressure may experience headaches and/or dizziness.
Causes of high blood pressure aren’t always clear but some risk factors may include:
- A diet high in salt
- High alcohol consumption
- Diabetes
- A family history of high blood pressure
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise
Your friendly Malouf Pharmacist can recommend a plan to tackle some of these risk factors and arrange a GP consultation should your health check present any warning signs.
Diabetes risk assessment
As the main source of energy for our bodies, glucose is produced from carbohydrates in food. People with diabetes, or impaired glucose tolerance/impaired fasting glucose (often called ‘pre-diabetes’) have reduced ability to manage the levels of glucose or sugars circulating in their bloodstream, and these high blood glucose levels can lead to a multitude of complications later in life such as heart and kidney disease, amputations and blindness so it’s important to know your risk. According to Diabetes Australia, 1.2 million Australians have diabetes, but many more go undiagnosed (up to 500,000 cases). Your Malouf Pharmacist can assess your risk of developing type II diabetes through a simple questionnaire and finger prick blood glucose test.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
Establishing healthy habits is the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, exercising and reducing your alcohol all play a key part in helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle which will reduce your chance of dying too soon and improve your quality of life.
A healthy approach to your lifestyle can reduce risk of:
If you have concerns about your weight or you’re looking to develop healthier habits, we can chat through a solution during your health check.
Quit smoking – how we can help
We understand, it’s challenging. Especially if you have tried to quit before. Smoking increases your risk of developing many chronic diseases and is the main cause of preventable death and disease in Australia. It affects not only you, but your family and friends so making the decision to quit is an important one.
Ensure your success with the right support and solution to tackle the challenge. Your Malouf Pharmacist can help design the right plan to help you quit during your health check. Click here for more information or to book a free Quit Smoking consultation if this is an area you would like to focus on.
How to prepare for your Health Check
There is no need for any preparation before a health check, however we recommend booking so we can make sure a pharmacist is available to help you.
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We can also help with….
Medications – do your medications need a health check also? Click here to book a MedsCheck
Are your vaccinations up to date? Book a flu or whooping cough vaccination here.
Asthma management
Quitting smoking
Weight management