Lockdowns and stress blamed for CV health downturn during COVID-19
Half of those who underwent heart checks recorded results outside a healthy range
Australians’ cardiovascular health appears to have worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and behavioural changes blamed for the decline.
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney says almost half of patients who underwent heart checks since March 2020 recorded results outside a healthy range.
This compared to 33% of 76,000 participants across the nine years prior to 2020.
The unfavourable results seen in cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure tests were most likely a consequence of behavioural changes during the pandemic, said the institute’s Heart Health Check manager Anastasia Dounas.
