Australians who need an annual heart check-up have not kept up with their medical appointments, despite some of people carrying significant risk factors for heart attack or stroke, a new survey has revealed.
The Heart Foundation is concerned that this could lead to an unwanted spike in heart-related deaths and hospitalisations.
It comes as May 2-8 marks Heart Week.
A survey of 1000 people by the Heart Foundation showed that 64 percent of people aged between 45 and 74 years of age, representing 5.5 million Australians, had not had a 'Heart Health Check' through their GP, even though they reported high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
"Heart disease is still Australia's leading cause of death - we already lose more than 18,000 lives to it each year," The Heart Foundation's interim Chief Executive, Professor Garry Jennings, said.
"Knowing that people have deferred their heart health during the pandemic despite having significant risk factors is something we find very concerning. This, coupled with growing evidence from studies overseas that COVID-19 can further increase the risk of heart disease among those infected, means heart disease could be silently and unknowingly progressing in a large number of people."
The foundation is also calling on political leaders to extend Medicare subsidies for Heart Health Checks beyond the current June 2023 expiry date, to ensure they remain accessible for all at-risk Australians as they return to GPs for routine health checks.
"The warnings signs of a heart attack are tragically often the first indication that someone is at risk, and by then it is too late to prevent. Ongoing subsidy under Medicare will help Australians to take action before it is too late, and save their families the unnecessary heartache," Professor Jennings said.