Keeping track of your health measurements is one of the best ways to stay on top of your heart health.
1.4 million Australians have a high chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years and unfortunately many are unaware of this risk.
Having regular and timely contact with primary health care providers, such as GPs and cardiologists, can contribute to better outcomes for those with coronary heart disease by highlighting any risk factors early and taking positive steps to reduce these, particularly as many of the risk factors are silent such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Your first step should be booking in for a free heart health check with your local GP. The cost of this is covered by Medicare so is free for all Australians. The GP will check your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol and discuss your lifestyle and family history to assess your risk of having a heart attack.
It’s important to note this isn’t something that just needs to be done once as these risk factors can change over time so should be done yearly or on a regular basis suggested by your GP.
Every man and woman should have annual heart health checks from the age of 45 or 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, however if you have any concerns or family history it is important to address these with your GP at any age as heart disease can still affect younger people.
