The Richmond electorate has fared badly in the latest report into the incidence and impact of stroke.  The National Stroke Foundation has released data which shows Richmond features regularly in the Top 10 Federal electorates for the number of people affected by stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Richmond is 8^th out of the 150 Federal electorates for the number of stroke survivors with 3,599, and is 10^th on the list for the number of strokes estimated to occur this year (438).

The electorate comes in 7^th for the number of people with high blood pressure – 29,678 people have this medical problem which is 20% of the population. Possibly the most worrying figure is seen in the numbers with high cholesterol – 40,593 people or 28% of the population in Richmond to rank the electorate 2^nd nationally. And 3% of the electorate population (3,675) have atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) making Richmond the 10^th most susceptible electorate. There are 51,000 strokes in Australia each year which costs the Australian economy around $5 billion including $3 billion in lost productivity and $1 billion on lost wages. 440,000 Australians are now living with stroke and by 2032 this number is predicted to exceed 700,000. The National Stroke Foundation’s report is a wake-up call for all of us to live a healthier lifestyle through controlling our weight, having a balanced diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and moderate consumption of alcohol.

For more details of Stroke in Australia No postcode untouched visit www.strokefoundation.com.au