Written by Medibank
January 2024
Someone in Australia has a heart attack or stroke every 4 minutes1 yet most of these events could be prevented with healthy choices that help to minimise the risk factors.
Nine out of 10 Australian adults have one of these risk factors,2 but more than two-thirds of us are living with 3 or more of them,3 often without knowing.
In part, this is because some risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are often ‘silent’. Also, many Australians simply aren’t aware of the risk factors for heart disease.
A Heart Health Check can help you understand more about your personal risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
What is a Heart Health Check?
A Heart Health Check is a 20-minute appointment with your GP that is designed to detect factors that may be putting the health of your heart at risk.
These factors are used by your doctor to assess what’s called your ‘absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk’ – that’s your overall likelihood of developing heart disease in the next 5 years.
They can also be used to help you make positive changes to your lifestyle habits in order to lower your risk and help protect against heart disease.
What does a Heart Health Check involve?
A Heart Health Check involves having a few important ‘levels’ measured, as well as answering some questions about your lifestyle.
Your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels will be checked and your weight will also be measured. Then, you’ll be asked about your diet, physical activity habits, if you smoke or drink alcohol and whether you have a family history of heart disease. Your age will also be taken into account, as the risk of heart disease increases with age.
You may also be asked about your mental health as some mental health conditions, such as depression, can increase your risk of heart disease, too.
Your GP will combine and use all of this information to assess your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 5 years. If required, they’ll also work with you to put a plan in place that focuses on improving any of your heart-disease risk factors.
Who needs a Heart Health Check?
Heart Health Checks are recommended at least once every 2 years for both men and women aged 45 years and over, or 30 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, your doctor may recommend that you have a Heart Health Check every year – be guided by their advice.
Unfortunately, recent figures show that 64 per cent of people who are eligible for a Heart Health Check in Australia haven’t had one in the last 2 years.1
Can I get a free Heart Health Check?
Heart Health Checks in Australia are covered by Medicare, so if you visit a GP clinic that bulk bills this service, yes, you can get a Heart Health Check for free.
How to improve heart health?
While knowing the risk factors for heart disease and understanding your personal risk is the first important step you can take to help protect against heart attack or stroke, there are many other things you can do to help look after your heart.
These include eating a heart-healthy diet, doing regular physical activity, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, limiting your alcohol intake and not smoking. Taking steps to control your stress levels is also a heart healthy habit.
Health programs
Eligible Medibank members can access a range of programs and research trials designed to manage their health conditions and provide access to more affordable care options.
Read more about heart healthy living
Looking for something else?
Visit Heart health for more information.
Things you need to know
* RACGP; Most eligible patients ‘have not had recent heart checks’; retrieved June 2023
1 Heart Foundation; Time to book a Heart Health Check?; retrieved June 2023
2 Health Direct; 5 ways to reduce your risk of heart disease; retrieved June 2023
3 Heart Foundation; Are you at risk of heart disease?; retrieved June 2023
While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).