Phillip: predicting heart risk with precision

Why personalised risk assessment could save lives

When fitness isn’t enough 

When Phillip suffered a heart attack during a routine jog in 2020, it came as a complete shock. A lifelong athlete, marathon runner, and table tennis champion, he had just completed a 46km walk to celebrate his birthday. Fitness was his foundation – so the idea of heart disease felt foreign. 

But behind his strength were subtle signs: tightness in the chest, pain down the arm, persistent fatigue. He dismissed them all. 

“I had the bombproof male thing going on,” Phillip admits. “I thought I was invincible.” 

It wasn’t until a major cardiac event forced him into hospital that the reality hit – he was living with severely blocked arteries. His risk had been hiding in plain sight. 

The need for smarter screening 

Today, Phillip is an advocate for the mCVDRisk score – an innovative blood test being developed through the Heart Foundation’s Catalyst Partnership Grants. By combining lipidomic and genetic risk scores, the test aims to offer a far more accurate and personalised assessment of cardiovascular risk – especially for people who fall into the ‘intermediate risk’ category, allowing for earlier, more targeted treatment. 

“This kind of test could have changed everything for me. It’s about catching the danger before it becomes a crisis.” 

Turning silent risk into lifesaving action  

Phillip knows his story isn’t rare. Each year, thousands of Australians suffer heart attacks or strokes without ever knowing they were at risk. Many are classified as ‘intermediate risk’ under current tools and don’t receive appropriate preventive care. 

The mCVDRisk score has the potential to reclassify many of these cases and prevent up to 75,000 cardiovascular events over the next five years. That’s not just progress – that’s prevention in action. 

“I’ve run marathons, walked across Spain, and climbed mountains since my surgery,” Phillip shares. “But I’m still vigilant. If we can help others avoid what I went through, we absolutely should.” 

Phillip’s story is a powerful reminder that heart disease can strike anyone – even the fit and active. The mCVDRisk project offers a low-cost, data-driven solution that can spot danger earlier – before it becomes a devastating event. 

Funding this Catalyst project means moving into a future of more personalised prevention.  Support smarter screening. Invest in precision health and the next leap in cardiovascular diagnostics.  Learn more about our Catalyst Partner.