Heart disease does not always announce itself with obvious symptoms.
You can feel well while having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, two factors that can contribute to cardiovascular disease over time. In fact, high cholesterol often has no obvious symptoms, and high blood pressure can also go unnoticed without being measured.
That is why looking after your heart’s health isn’t only about seeking medical care when something feels wrong.
Appropriate screening can help identify cardiovascular risk factors earlier and give you and your GP an opportunity to discuss steps that may reduce your future risk.
For adults in Cranbourne West and surrounding areas, understanding your blood pressure, cholesterol and overall cardiovascular risk can be an important part of preventive healthcare.
What Is Heart Health Screening?
Heart health screening isn’t necessarily one single test.
Instead, your GP considers several factors that collectively influence your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels.
Depending on your age, medical history and individual circumstances, assessment may include:
- A blood pressure check
- A cholesterol test
- Blood glucose testing
- Smoking status
- Medical history
- Family history
- Diet and physical activity
- Medicines
- Other relevant health conditions
For eligible patients, these factors can be combined using the Australian CVD Risk Calculator to estimate the likelihood of experiencing a cardiovascular event within the next five years.
Why Does Early Detection Matter?
Some important cardiovascular risk factors can exist for years without causing obvious symptoms.
High cholesterol, for example, generally doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms. Over time, excess LDL cholesterol can contribute to plaque accumulating in artery walls, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.
The same principle applies to high blood pressure: you cannot reliably tell whether your blood pressure is high based on how you feel.
Screening provides an opportunity to identify these factors before they lead to symptoms or complications.
Importantly, detecting a risk factor doesn’t mean you will definitely develop heart disease. Instead, it gives your GP information that can be used to assess your overall risk and discuss appropriate management.
1. A Blood Pressure Check Can Detect a Problem You Can’t Feel
Blood pressure measures the pressure of blood against the walls of your arteries.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the workload on the heart and blood vessels and is an important cardiovascular risk factor.
One of the challenges is that people with high blood pressure may feel completely well.
Healthdirect advises that blood pressure should be checked routinely from adulthood, with the appropriate frequency depending on cardiovascular risk.
A blood pressure check is usually quick and non-invasive.
If an elevated reading is detected, your GP may recommend repeat measurements or other monitoring before determining whether you have persistent high blood pressure. A single elevated measurement does not necessarily establish a diagnosis.
2. A Cholesterol Test Can Reveal Another Silent Risk Factor
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that your body needs to function.
However, too much LDL cholesterol can contribute to fatty deposits accumulating within the arteries, increasing cardiovascular risk.
A lipid profile or cholesterol test typically measures:
- Total cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Healthdirect notes that cholesterol testing can help doctors assess cardiovascular risk and monitor treatment where relevant.
Your result shouldn’t be interpreted in isolation.
A cholesterol number that is appropriate for one person may require different management in someone with other cardiovascular risk factors. Your GP can interpret your lipid results alongside your overall health and risk profile.
3. Cardiovascular Risk Is About More Than One Number
Heart disease rarely comes down to one risk factor.
Your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease reflects the combined effect of multiple factors.
The current Australian CVD Risk Calculator incorporates information including:
- Age
- Sex
- Smoking status
- Systolic blood pressure
- Total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio
- Diabetes status
- Certain cardiovascular medicines
- Postcode
- History of atrial fibrillation
Additional variables are incorporated for people with diabetes.
This is why a cardiovascular risk assessment can provide more useful information than looking at cholesterol or blood pressure alone.
What Is an Australian Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment?
Australia’s current guideline recommends using the Australian CVD Risk Calculator to estimate five-year cardiovascular risk for appropriate patients without known cardiovascular disease.
The assessment places calculated risk into three categories:
- Low: less than 5% estimated five-year CVD risk
- Intermediate: 5% to less than 10%
- High: 10% or greater
These results help support conversations between patients and healthcare professionals about preventive strategies and whether additional management may be appropriate.
The result isn’t a prediction that something definitely will or won’t happen. It is an estimate designed to guide clinical decision-making.
Who Should Have Their Cardiovascular Risk Assessed?
Under the current Australian guideline, formal CVD risk assessment using the Australian CVD Risk Calculator is recommended for people without known cardiovascular disease who are:
- 45–79 years in the general population
- 35–79 years for people with diabetes
- 30–79 years for First Nations people
For First Nations people aged 18–29 years, individual cardiovascular risk factors should also be assessed.
These are guidelines for formal CVD risk assessment, not a suggestion that younger adults should ignore their heart health.
People outside these age ranges may still need individual risk factors assessed depending on their medical history, family history and other circumstances.
What Is a Heart Health Check?
A Heart Health Check is a structured cardiovascular risk assessment available in Australian general practice for eligible patients.
The Heart Foundation states that Medicare Heart Health Check items support cardiovascular risk assessment for eligible adults aged 45 years and over, or 30 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who do not already have cardiovascular disease. The relevant Medicare items can generally be claimed once per patient in a 12-month period.
During the appointment, your GP or healthcare professional may assess factors such as:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Blood glucose
- Diet
- Physical activity
- Smoking
- Medical history
- Family history
- Current medicines
Your GP can then calculate and discuss your cardiovascular risk and develop an appropriate management plan where needed.
Eligibility and out-of-pocket costs should always be confirmed with the clinic.
What If You’re Younger Than 45?
Being younger doesn’t mean cardiovascular risk factors cannot occur.
Healthdirect recommends routine blood pressure screening from adulthood.
You may also benefit from discussing your cardiovascular health earlier if you have factors such as:
- Strong family history of premature cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Smoking
- Other significant cardiovascular risk factors
Your GP can determine which assessments are appropriate rather than automatically performing every cardiovascular test.
Family History Matters
Your genes and family history can influence cardiovascular risk.
Tell your GP if close family members have experienced heart disease or stroke, particularly at younger ages.
Family history can also be relevant to inherited conditions such as familial hypercholesterolaemia, which causes significantly elevated cholesterol.
Healthdirect estimates that familial hypercholesterolaemia affects about 1 in 250 people, with many people unaware they have the condition.
A strong family history may therefore influence when your GP recommends testing and how results are interpreted.
What About Diabetes and Heart Health?
Diabetes is an important cardiovascular risk factor.
This is reflected in Australia’s current risk assessment recommendations, which recommend formal cardiovascular risk assessment from age 35 for people with diabetes rather than age 45 for the general population.
The Australian CVD Risk Calculator also incorporates additional diabetes-specific information where relevant, including factors such as HbA1c, duration of diabetes, kidney function and BMI.
If you have diabetes, regular reviews with your healthcare team can include discussion of cardiovascular risk alongside your broader diabetes management.
Does Heart Health Screening Include an ECG?
Not automatically.
An ECG records the electrical activity of your heart and can be useful in particular clinical circumstances, but it isn’t necessarily required as part of routine cardiovascular risk assessment for every person without symptoms.
Likewise, screening does not mean everyone needs heart imaging, a stress test or coronary CT scan.
Your GP will consider your symptoms, examination, history and risk factors before recommending additional investigations.
The goal is clinically appropriate testing, not simply performing as many tests as possible.
How Often Should You Have Your Cholesterol Checked?
The appropriate frequency depends on your individual risk.
Healthdirect advises that healthy people generally have cholesterol and lipid testing every five years from age 45, with earlier or more frequent testing recommended for some higher-risk groups.
More frequent testing may be appropriate for people with conditions such as:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Previous stroke
- Kidney disease
- Familial hypercholesterolaemia
Testing frequency may also change if you are receiving treatment for high cholesterol.
Your GP can recommend a schedule appropriate for you.
What Happens If Your Cardiovascular Risk Is Elevated?
An elevated risk result doesn’t automatically mean you have heart disease.
Instead, it can help your GP identify areas where intervention may reduce your future risk.
Depending on your individual circumstances, management may involve discussing:
Smoking
If you smoke, stopping is one of the important steps you can take to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Physical Activity
Your GP can discuss an appropriate level of physical activity based on your health and circumstances.
Nutrition
Dietary changes may be recommended to support cardiovascular health, blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes management.
Blood Pressure Management
If persistent high blood pressure is identified, management may include lifestyle measures and, for some people, medication.
Cholesterol Management
Depending on your cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular risk, lifestyle measures and/or cholesterol-lowering medicines may be discussed.
Diabetes Management
Managing blood glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors is particularly important for people with diabetes.
Treatment should be individualised. Not everyone with a particular cholesterol or blood pressure reading requires exactly the same management.
Can Lifestyle Changes Really Affect Heart Health?
Lifestyle is an important part of cardiovascular risk management.
The Heart Foundation encourages several heart-healthy behaviours, including:
- Not smoking
- Regular physical activity
- Eating a heart-healthy diet
- Maintaining social connection and psychological wellbeing
- Understanding and managing blood pressure and cholesterol
For some people, lifestyle changes may be sufficient to manage certain risk factors. Others may require medication as well.
The appropriate approach depends on your overall cardiovascular risk and individual health.
Screening Is Different From Diagnosing Heart Disease
A cardiovascular risk assessment estimates your likelihood of experiencing a future cardiovascular event.
It does not necessarily tell your doctor whether you currently have coronary heart disease or another specific heart condition.
If you have symptoms that could indicate heart disease, your GP may recommend different investigations or specialist assessment.
Symptoms worth discussing promptly include:
- Chest discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained reduced exercise tolerance
- Palpitations
- Dizziness or fainting
- Other new or concerning cardiovascular symptoms
Screening is designed primarily for prevention and risk assessment. Symptoms require clinical assessment.
When Is a Heart Problem an Emergency?
Routine screening is not appropriate if you are experiencing possible symptoms of a heart attack or another medical emergency.
Healthdirect advises calling Triple Zero (000) for sudden severe chest pain or significant breathing difficulty.
Other possible heart attack symptoms can include pain or discomfort involving areas such as the chest, arms, shoulders, neck, jaw or back, as well as breathlessness, nausea, dizziness or sweating.
If you think you or someone else may be experiencing a heart attack, seek emergency medical assistance rather than waiting for a GP appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a heart health screening involve?
Depending on your age and circumstances, your GP may review your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, smoking status, family history, lifestyle, medicines and other cardiovascular risk factors. Eligible patients may have their five-year risk estimated using the Australian CVD Risk Calculator.
Can I have high blood pressure without knowing?
Yes. High blood pressure may not cause noticeable symptoms, which is why having your blood pressure measured is important.
Can high cholesterol cause symptoms?
High cholesterol usually has no obvious symptoms. A blood test is needed to measure cholesterol and other blood lipids.
At what age should I have a cardiovascular risk assessment?
Current Australian guidelines recommend formal CVD risk assessment for people without known CVD aged 45–79 years, people with diabetes aged 35–79 years and First Nations people aged 30–79 years.
Is a Heart Health Check covered by Medicare?
Specific Medicare items are available for eligible Heart Health Checks. The Heart Foundation states these apply to eligible adults aged 45 years and over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 30 years and over without known CVD, generally once in a 12-month period. Confirm your eligibility and any potential costs with your GP clinic.
Do I need a heart check if I feel healthy?
Feeling well doesn’t necessarily mean your cardiovascular risk factors are within healthy ranges. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can occur without obvious symptoms. Whether you need formal cardiovascular risk assessment depends on your age and individual circumstances.
The Bottom Line
Looking after your heart health isn’t only about responding to symptoms.
A blood pressure check, cholesterol test and appropriate cardiovascular risk assessment can help identify risk factors that might otherwise go unnoticed. For eligible adults, Australia’s current cardiovascular risk assessment approach can also estimate the likelihood of experiencing a cardiovascular event within the next five years and help guide preventive care.
Early identification doesn’t guarantee that heart disease will be prevented, but it can give you and your GP an opportunity to discuss lifestyle changes, treatment and follow-up appropriate to your individual risk.
If you’re in Cranbourne West or surrounding areas, contact Cranbourne West Medical Centre to ask about available preventative health checks and whether a heart health assessment may be appropriate for you.