WIMMERA residents have a higher chance of heart attacks and cardiac arrests than their city counterparts.
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Health Foundation data has revealed the rate of heart attacks and cardiac arrest for each local government area in Victoria.
Yarriambiack has the second highest rate of heart attack in the state and Hindmarsh has the fifth highest.
West Wimmera has the third highest rate of cardiac arrest in the state, Ararat has the fourth highest and Buloke has the fifth highest.
Hindmarsh has the highest rate of unstable angina and the highest rate of heart failure
Horsham Rural City also ranks in the top ten for heart attacks and unstable angina.
West Wimmera Mayor Annette Jones said while she did not have a medical background, heart health was a complex issue.
“It's about lifestyle choices and personal habits such as smoking,” she said. “It's about education, healthy eating and easy to understand food labelling laws.
“It’s also about easy access to well funded health program.”
Cr Jones said hospitals in the shire and the Harrow Bush Nursing Centre ran a fantastic range of fitness activities.
“Many people are also involved in numerous sporting activities across the shire,” she said.
“Statistics such as this highlight a problem and provide an opportunity to explore whether we can do more,” she said.
“The statistics frequently seem to show the health of rural residents is consistently below that of our city counterparts. It's something that we should all be concerned about and raise with our politicians.”
Yarriambiack Mayor Andrew McLean said council had started working with health agencies to improve health outcomes in the community.
“Council is developing new walking tracks around the Yarriambiack Creek and in most towns, and partnering Rural Northwest Health in its obesity prevention program,” he said. “Our early years program has also targeted healthy eating.”