Are you at risk of heart disease?
Preventing heart disease starts with knowing your risk factors and making changes to live a healthier life.
Key takeaways
3 min read
- Many risk factors for heart disease are greater for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Some risk factors for heart disease are beyond your control, such as: age, gender, ethnicity, and family history.
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can increase your chance of developing heart disease.
- To know your risk of heart disease, it's important to get a regular health check with your doctor or health service.
- You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by making positive changes to your lifestyle.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, causing 1 in 10 deaths.
There are risk factors that make it more likely that you could get heart disease.
Preventing heart disease
Heart disease can be prevented by living a healthy life and with help from your doctor, nurse or a health worker. It’s never too early or late to manage your risk of heart disease and improve your heart health.
Preventing heart disease starts with knowing your risk factors and making changes to live a healthier life. The 10 steps you can take to protect your heart are:
Health check for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can get a health check with your doctor or health service.
The doctor, nurse or health worker will talk to you about ways to reduce your risk of heart disease and check blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and your body weight. They can offer support to stop smoking and keep a healthy weight.
Watch the Get a Heart Check (715 Health Check) animation to learn more about a health or heart check:
Calculate your heart age compared to your actual age
To better understand your risk, you can try the Heart Foundation's Heart Age Calculator.
This calculator is for people aged 35 - 75.
If your heart age is older than your actual age, or you are concerned about your heart health, visit your doctor or health service for a health check.
To know your risk of heart disease, it's important to get a regular health check with your doctor or health service.
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Are you at risk of heart disease?
Preventing heart disease starts with knowing your risk factors and making changes to live a healthier life.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease can occur 10 to 20 years earlier among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and can lead to long-term health problems.
What is acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease?
Rheumatic heart disease is a serious disease that causes damage to your heart valves.
Last updated21 April 2020