INTERVENTIONAL cardiologist Brian Herman says that if he created a time-lapse video of every patient he’s treated over 30 years, it would show them growing bigger and bigger.
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Dr Herman, who works at the Launceston General Hospital, said obesity was endemic, and there wasn’t a week when the body mass index of a patient didn’t cause a clinical dilemma for hospital cardiologists.
‘‘The people who are nowadays routine, day-to-day procedures used to be big,’’ Dr Herman said.
‘‘Everything has changed, and patient size has just exploded.’’
Dr Herman said obesity was just one part of a dangerous cocktail contributing to cardiovascular disease, with physical inactivity, genetics, diet, socio-economic disadvantage and high smoking rates also to blame.
A report released by the Heart Foundation last month showed Tasmania had the highest rates of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and hypertension in the country.
Asked how the LGH coped with growing demand, Dr Herman said ‘‘not good’’.
‘‘The number of referrals we receive daily for both outpatient and inpatient management is really outstripping the ability of the Department of Health to keep up with this demand,’’ Dr Herman said.
‘‘We as an organisation, and as a public health institution, are overwhelmed and drowning in the amount of cardiovascular disease we’re asked to deal with.’’
Dr Herman said there was perhaps some complacency in the community, borne out of the expectation that doctors could fix anything.
‘‘Imagine if mortality, the death rate, had grown along the same lines as the body mass index – I don’t think you would see this issue, but we do,’’ Dr Herman said.
‘‘The length of life is still increased despite all these other terrible things that have happened, including the rampant diabetes, the rampant high blood pressure, the rampant heart disease and cancers, and every other disease that’s exploded.
‘‘We still live longer than we ever did before.’’
Dr Herman spoke to The Examiner in support of Run and Walk For Your Heart, a Clifford Craig event on Sunday, October 5 – the first day of daylight saving.
He said he was encouraged to see an event involving children that raised awareness of heart health and physical activity.
‘‘Whatever disease you have, whether it’s heart disease or arthritis or you have a stroke, it doesn’t really matter. The more exercise you can do, the better you do,’’ Dr Herman said.
Run and Walk For Your Heart supports medical research in Northern Tasmania. It includes a five-kilometre fun run and walk, an 800-metre children’s fun run and walk and a free kick-start breakfast for all entrants.
For more information on the event, or to register, visit www.cliffordcraig.org.au.
