Heart Health Checks; do you need one?
News /
The Heart Foundation’s Serial Killer awareness campaign has delivered a huge win for Aussie hearts.
This week, the nation’s major political parties committed to introducing a Medicare-funded Heart Health Check for all Australians at risk of developing heart disease.
Are you at risk? Do you need a Heart Health Check?
Every day 51 Australians die from heart disease; it's a confronting figure.
The Heart Foundation has campaigned for Heart Health Checks because they can save lives. Heart Health Checks can also help to prevent the pain and suffering that people and their families endure after a heart attack or stroke.
Professor Garry Jennings, cardiologist and Chief Medical Advisor for the Heart Foundation says the introduction of Heart Health Checks, and better treatments for people at risk of heart disease, could, over the next five years, prevent:
- 76,500 heart attacks and strokes
- 9,100 deaths
A Heart Health Check could save your life or the life of someone you love. Your regular doctor will perform the check, and the results indicate your level of risk for having a heart attack or stroke within the next five years. Your Heart Health Check could involve:
- Taking your blood to check cholesterol and glucose levels
- Checking your blood pressure
- Learning more about your immediate family’s heart health history (covering your parents and siblings)
- Considering any other health conditions you may have, such as kidney disease or arrhythmias
- Discussing your diet, whether you smoke and how active you are
- Assessing your body mass index (BMI) and waist measurement
But, how do you know if you need one?
The Heart Foundation recommends Australians over 45 years of age have a Heart Health Check. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians should have a check when they are over 35.
How do you get a Heart Health Check?
Medicare-funded Heart Health Checks will be available from your GP from April 2019.
Know more about your heart health.
Right now, you can learn more about your heart health by completing the Heart Foundation’s Heart Age Calculator; by answering a few simple questions, you can learn more about your heart age and your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.