Charities and health organisations are on a mission to get Aussies to check their heart health following the shocking death of cricket legend Shane Warne in 2022.
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The colourful leg spinner passed away suddenly from a heart attack while holidaying in Thailand in March 2022.
More than 23,000 cricket fans had free heart health checks during last year's Boxing Day test at the MCG. While stumps have well and truly been called on that fixture, with Australia walking away victorious, the awareness drive goes on.
Not-for-profit insurer Latrobe Health Services, Shane Warne Legacy Foundation and SiSU Health have joined forces with the goal of providing 500,000 additional free heart health tests this year.
Warne's passing sparked an increase in public interest in heart disease and heart attacks.
Medicare has reported a 62 per cent increase in heart health checks from March 2022 to January of last year.
Despite this increase, participation rates from November 2022 to October last year remained at less than 2 per cent of the total Australian population.
A national survey by SiSU Health revealed 65.4 per cent of adult Australians had not had their blood pressure checked in the last 12 months. High blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death.
Latrobe Health Services chief executive Ian Whitehead said Warne's death was a reminder too many Australians were unaware of heart health risks.
The insurer also worked with Wesfarmers Health to sponsor free heart health tests for Victorians over the past 18 months.
"It is a great tragedy that 43,000 Australians die from a heart condition each year in Australia," Mr Whitehead said.
"Together we're on a mission to bring the technology to Australian communities throughout the country to revolutionise the way we detect heart health."
Results of all Latrobe Health funded heart tests are provided to participants immediately via the SiSU Health App and participants are referred to GPs, if required.
"To date, these tests have referred almost 400 participants to their GP for follow up," Mr Whitehead said.
Latrobe Health Services head of marketing Kate Jarvis said in 2022, a Sale man presented to one of its testing stations and the team was so concerned they called an ambulance.
"The next day he had triple bypass surgery - saving his life," Ms Jarvis said.
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