Strong-Heart
Long Life
Most people don't think about their heart until something goes wrong. But your heart starts ageing long before your first chest pain or abnormal ECG — and by then, early warning signs have often been missed.
The good news? Heart disease is one of the most preventable causes of death in Australia. A Heart Health Check can flag problems early and give you the tools to change your future — not just your risk.
What Is a Heart Health Check?
A Heart Health Check is a 20–30 minute appointment with your GP, designed for people aged 45 and over (or 30 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples). Medicare want you to do one every year when appropriate.
We assess your absolute cardiovascular risk — i.e. your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 5 years.
It includes:
Blood pressure and cholesterol check
Family history and lifestyle risk factors
Diabetes screening (if relevant)
Weight and waist measurements
Personalised plan for diet, exercise, medications or referrals
Why Does This Matter?
Cardiovascular disease is a silent killer. Half of people who die suddenly from heart disease had no prior symptoms. That’s why a proactive risk assessment is crucial.
Some key facts:
90% of Australians have at least one heart disease risk factor
1 in 5 heart attacks happen in people with normal cholesterol
High blood pressure is often asymptomatic
Prevention is cheaper, safer, and more effective than treatment after the fact
What Are the Main Risk Factors?
Some are non-modifiable:
Age
Family history
Ethnicity
Others are preventable or treatable:
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes or insulin resistance
Smoking
Sedentary lifestyle
Stress and poor sleep
Obesity
Chronic inflammation
Investigations That Go Beyond the Basics
While standard risk calculators give a useful overview, there are additional tools we sometimes use when the picture isn’t clear — or when someone has strong risk factors despite “normal” numbers.
Exercise Stress Test (EST)
A treadmill test to assess how your heart responds to physical exertion. It can help detect exercise-induced rhythm changes or ischemia (reduced blood flow), but is gradually being replaced by more sensitive imaging.
Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score
A specialised CT scan that measures calcium build-up in the coronary arteries. It’s a powerful predictor of future heart attack risk, even in people with normal cholesterol.
Score = 0 → very low risk
Score >100 → moderate to high risk
Particularly useful in intermediate-risk patients or those with family history.
CT Coronary Angiogram (CTCA)
A non-invasive scan that shows the actual coronary arteries in high detail. It can detect narrowings, plaques, and early changes not visible on an ECG or cholesterol test.
It’s often used when symptoms are present, or when we want more definitive imaging without needing an invasive angiogram.
How Can You Protect Your Heart?
1. Know Your Numbers
Get regular checks for BP, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight.
2. Eat Real Food
Focus on fibre-rich vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats (like olive oil), and minimal processed sugar or refined carbs.
3. Move Your Body
Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity most days, including some resistance training.
4. Sleep Well
7–9 hours of quality sleep is key to hormone balance, blood pressure control, and reducing inflammation.
5. Use Medication When Needed
Cholesterol-lowering medication (like statins) or blood pressure meds can be life-saving when prescribed appropriately — they’re not “failures,” they’re tools.
Poor heart health doesn’t just raise the risk of heart attacks. It’s also linked to:
Cognitive decline and dementia
Erectile dysfunction
Kidney disease
Eye disease