Sidnee’s very sensible
RAILWAY Estate resident Sidnee Kay has had to completely change her lifestyle, after losing five family members to heart disease.
The 24-year-old lost her grandfather at the age 43, grandmother at 60, uncle at 38, mother at 46 and cousin at 18 to heart disease.
“When my cousin passed away five years ago it was like the big wake-up call because he was pretty fit and healthy,” Ms Kay said.
“He had a heart attack and passed away on the spot which brought on the realisation that even if you are healthy … if it’s in your genes, it’s in your genes,” she said.
Ms Kay said heart disease could be caused from lifestyle but in her family’s case it was caused by genetics.
“It’s kind the narrowing of your heart vessels, build up of plaque with high cholesterol and fatty foods,” she said.
“Unhealthy foods and not eating right … builds up with plaque … it can stop circulation to the heart.”
Ms Kay said she had regular check-ups with her doctor given her extensive family history of heart disease.
“Well, normally it’s just once every year to make sure there are no blockages or anything,” she said.
Ms Kay is also extremely conscious of her diet and how much she exercises.
“With that, it’s kind of like a lifestyle change, you have to watch what you eat, diet, exercise,” she said.
“It’s a thought that’s always in the back of your head, if you go out and continuously eat junk food, you get chest pains, if you keep living that lifestyle something bad is going to happen.”
Ms Kay and her two sisters are constantly monitoring their hearts as they have all experienced some troubles.
Her brother, 15, will have his first check-up this year.
Heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death taking more than 18,000 lives a year. News Corp and the Heart Foundation are calling on the Federal Government to have Medicare fund a Heart Health Check for all Australians aged over 45 and indigenous Australians aged over 35 to cut the death rate.
If every eligible Australian had this check-up it’s estimated 76,500 heart attacks could be prevented in the next five years, and save the economy $1.5 billion.