Federal member advocates for changes in cardiovascular disease management

MedTech News: In recognition of hearts4heart’s Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Week (19th – 25th September), the Parliamentary Friends of Heart Health co-chairs Maria Vamvakinou MP and Senator Wendy Askew advocated for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in the community.

An estimated half a million Australians have Atrial Fibrillation (AF), the most common irregular heartbeat, and prevalence is expected to double in the next decade. Concerningly, up to 30% of those affected by the disorder remain undiagnosed, which is why awareness is so important.

In addressing the House of Representatives in early September, Maria Vamvakinou MP said “One of the most concerning things is that most people, and especially men, probably can’t recall the last time they saw their GP wearing a stethoscope or seeking to do a heart test. Auscultation, where a doctor listens to your heart with a stethoscope, should be included as part of a health check – it should be a routine health check. This measure, which is the only measure a GP has at their disposal within a clinic, must return to being standard practice once again, as a routine, non-invasive test that takes mere seconds.”

How to achieve equity in diagnostic excellence, Roche Diagnostics MD

hearts4heart has recently joined cardiac groups to put forward a series of proposals to the Australian government to improve cardiovascular treatment across the country. The proposals range from adding a stethoscope test to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) heart checks to the revision and permanency of heart health checks within the MBS.

hearts4heart CEO Tanya Hall, who lost her father to heart failure when he was just 59 and who herself has heart disease, said “Unfortunately, dangerously low levels of awareness about heart disease are leaving Australians vulnerable. Not everyone experiences symptoms and the most common ones are often dismissed, either as other health issues or just signs of getting older, but they shouldn’t be ignored.

“With delayed diagnosis and upward trends in Australian heart disease as reasons for concern, including a stethoscope in the MBS Heart Check is a simple ask but we can disrupt the cycle resulting in thousands of cardiac related deaths and hospitalisations each year.”

Ms Vamvakinou added “I am pleased to provide my endorsement of and support for this proposal, and I thank the organisations which came together to propose these changes for their joint efforts.”