Kambah man Josh Parkinson said he had virtually no symptoms before he had open heart surgery just over a year ago.
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His aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, was torn.
Even then, he only felt "a bit off".
The 41-year-old never thought to check his heart health. And he's not alone.
The Heart Foundation says, despite 71 per cent of Australians aged over 45 saying they're concerned about developing cardiovascular disease, close to one third (31 per cent) have never spoken to their doctor about their heart health.
On Wednesday, Give with Heart Day, the Heart Foundation's annual 24-hour fundraising event, Australians are being urged to ask their doctor for a heart health check which can help predict if a person will have a heart attack or stroke within the next five years and what measures can be taken to prevent that.
Heart disease remains the number one killer of Australians, with more than 40,000 deaths caused by cardiovascular disease each year.
By comparison, in 2020, COVID was the 38th leading cause of death in Australia, with 898 deaths.
Mr Parkinson's experience is a cautionary tale.
The IT professional from Kambah had some mild, cramp-like chest pain in July last year when he went to the Canberra Hospital to get it checked.
"They did some scans and said, 'By the way you have a dissected aorta, which is pretty bad'," he said.
His aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, had widened by 6cm.
Mr Parkinson was given some drugs and sent home. A week later, he had an echocardiogram, a type of ultrasound to look more closely at his heart. The aorta was found to have split completely. Even then, Mr Parkinson said he only felt "a bit off".
The IT professional had more than three hours of open heart surgery and spent a week in hospital recovering. A synthetic sleeve was put over the aorta and a mechanical valve installed to keep his heart pumping.
More than a year later, Mr Parkinson said he felt physically better but, mentally, some days were a challenge, with him sometimes not able to do too much multi-tasking and needing to take it easy.
He said no one knew what caused the tear in his aorta, but it was another example of how people in middle-aged had to be proactive about their heart health.
"There were no real symptoms, or any symptoms, until it became serious," he said.
"People need to be aware some things are symptom-free and don't be afraid to ask your doctor for a scan, because they're probably going to say you don't need it.
"But it's not just for older people."
Heart Foundation chief medical advisor Professor Garry Jennings said Mr Parkinson was not alone in feeling very mild or no symptoms before major heart disease was discovered.
"Yes, sadly, for at least a third of people, it's the first time they know they've got it, when they do have a major event," he said.
"Often when you talk to them afterwards they will say, 'Yes, I did feel a bit of a twinge or felt a bit off'. Often there is something there when they look back, but it's something they've ignored at the time."
Professor Jennings said the death of a well-known person such as Shane Warne, who died from a heart attack aged 52, jolted people out of their complacency regarding heart health, but it soon returned.
"It seems to be something people put off or don't think of and it's such an important part of their health. It's our biggest killer and it's such a burden on the health system, with so many preventable aspects to it that it's a great shame," he said.
In a heart health check, a doctor or nurse checks blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and discusses lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise and whether people smoke or drink.
The information is gathered to assess the person's risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years.
Professor Jennings said people aged over 45 should just ask their doctor for a heart health check.
"Hopefully, at some time as an adult, you've had your cholesterol and blood pressure and other things measured as single risk factors. But at this age, we bring it all together into a single number that predicts the likelihood of a major event like a heart attack or stroke in the next five years," he said.
"Your doctor then interprets what's contributing to that and it might mean changes to your nutrition, physical activity, stopping smoking, getting some pills for your blood pressure or cholesterol. It can make a huge difference to that number."
Wednesday is Give with Heart Day, the Heart Foundation's annual 24-hour fundraising event.
The foundation is encouraging those who can donate, to donate, to help raise more than $1.5 million so that vital medical research can continue to reduce the impact of heart disease, and keep more families together.
"We've made great strides but there are even greater ones on the horizon," Professor Jennings said.
"This money will contribute to research and bring hope to people and whose families who've been affected by heart disease and those who won't have it because the research is being done now and into the future."
Donations can be made at www.givewithheartday.com.au
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