Poor heart health common in rural

AUSTRALIANS living in country areas have the poorest cardiovascular health yet city dwellers are more likely to have a heart check-up.

Those living in country and remote areas are more likely to die or need hospital care for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the latest research released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The report also shows those in major cities were more likely to visit a GP for a CVD consultation despite having lower rates of CVD and its risk factors.

"The burden of CVD per head of population increases with remoteness," according to the AIHW report released on Wednesday.

" ... being 11 per cent higher in inner and outer regional areas than in major cities and 15 per cent higher in remote and very remote areas.

"In inner and outer regional areas, coronary heart disease was the leading specific cause of disease burden overall."

The report, which reviewed access to CVD medicines nationwide, noted that 14 million Australians lived in the nation's major cities.

A further six million lived in inner and outer regional areas with remote and very remote parts of the country containing "a very small population by comparison, fewer than half a million people".

More indigenous Australians live in major cities than in any other location, but they account for one per cent of the city population and up to 28 per cent of those living in the remotest areas.

The research found indigenous Australians died from CVD at twice the rate of other Australians, and needed hospital treatment for CVD also at double the rate.

"People in more remote areas had poorer health overall," the report also said.

"They suffered more from CVD, which is reflected in higher rates of death and hospitalisation in these regions."

It was also estimated there were 72 million visits to GPs where a CVD or cholesterol problem was managed from mid-2004 to mid-2008.

These GP visits were "significantly higher in major cities than in any other region".

The study said while there were many factors contributing to differences in rate of CVD across the country, one constant was seen in the way GPs prescribe cardiovascular medicines.

A similar pattern of treatment was seen across Australia, whether GPs are based in major cities, regional or remote areas.

More than 70 million prescriptions for CVD medicines were dispensed through the PBS to 3.8 million Australians in 2007-08.