Screening program could save at-risk Aussies from heart attacks, experts say

There is still no national screening program for Australia’s leading cause of death — heart disease. But a lobby group is calling for change.

The Heart Foundation is calling for a national screening program for Australia’s leading cause of death.

Australia needs a cardiac screening program, a top body says, as concerning statistics reveal more than a third of Australians behind on a check-up suffer from a heart attack risk factor.

The Heart Foundation has called on the Federal Government to fund their work on a national screening program in the upcoming budget, so that doctors can proactively call at-risk Australians and encourage them to book a GP Heart Health Check.

Now a new survey has revealed nearly half of all Australians in danger of cardiovascular disease do not know if their own family has a history of stroke or heart attack — an important risk factor.

The foundation surveyed almost 1000 adults aged 45 to 74-years-old who do not have a heart diagnosis — meaning they were eligible for a Heart Health Check — and found more than half had not had one in the past two years.

More than a third of people who had skipped their checks had a leading risk factor for heart attacks, including high blood pressure (37 per cent) or high cholesterol (32 per cent).

A study revealed more than a third of people who had skipped their checks were at risk of a heart attack.

Heart Foundation healthcare programs manager Natalie Raffoul said the checks worked – if people had them – but complacency around heart disease prevention was “high”.

“A targeted screening program would help us direct life saving preventative checks to Australians that need it most without waiting for them to voluntarily present to their GP for a check up,” she said.

Australians targeted by the program could include those living in areas with higher rates of heart disease or lower rates of primary health care.

The foundation pointed to their pilot last year, which found patients who received a text from their clinic were 14 times more likely to book a check.

They are now calling on the government to grant them $3.3 million over the next two years so the organisation can develop a plan for a targeted screening program.

“Despite the introduction of several cancer specific population screening programs in Australia, there is no formal program in place for Australia’s leading cause of death: heart disease,” their submission earlier this year said.

Ms Raffoul said the Heart Health Check enables GPs to “accurately estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke within the next five years, and make a plan with you, right there and then, to help you avoid the worst possible outcome”.

“Your risk of developing heart disease is influenced by more than just the commonly- known

lifestyle factors such as exercise and diet,” she said.

“Risk is also strongly influenced by your family history, cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes status.”

The Albanese Government will hand down the federal budget on May 14.