Fresh from success at keeping people's hearts ticking over at the Elmore Field Days, Latrobe Health Services is set to offer the same free service at the upcoming Bendigo Agricultural Show.
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Free 15-minute heart health checks will be offered at the show on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28.
Latrobe Health Services chief executive officer Ian Whitehead said a qualified pharmacist would carry out the checks.
Mr Whitehead said regional communities had some of the poorest cardiovascular health outcomes in Australia.
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"This initiative is one way to help our members - and community - check if they are at risk," he said.
"We're passionate about supporting better health. Regional communities have some of the worst heart health outcomes in Australia, so if you're aged between 18 and 50, we really encourage you to participate in the heart health screenings."
Elmore Field Days saw 105 people tested
At the Elmore Field Days earlier this month, a trained clinician carried out 105 15-minute tests to check key heart health indicators including blood pressure, heart rate, body composition, diabetes risk, and non-fasting cholesterol levels.
Latrobe Health Services has completed more than 1700 heart health checks across regional Victoria.
Results of the tests showed 34.1 per cent of participants had high blood pressure, triggering 377 patients to be referred to their GP for a follow up appointment.
Other results from the heart health checks have shown that 71.8 per cent of participants were overweight, 6.3 per cent were predicted to develop type-2 diabetes in the next five years, and 37 per cent of participants had not received a blood pressure check in the previous 12 months.
Key heart health indicators checked during the screening include blood pressure, heart rate, body composition, diabetes risk and non-fasting cholesterol levels.
"Results are provided immediately following the test, with the pharmacist providing key insights on the results, advice on how to keep your heart healthy, and informing participants on how to follow up with your GP in further action is required," Mr Whitehead said.
Heart disease the leading cause of death
Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death among Australians with worse outcomes experienced in regional and rural areas, according to the head of Digital Health Services with Wesfarmers Health Amy Sabatini.
"It is important to get heart health check-ups to give you the best chance of receiving the right treatment and possibly diagnosing underlying medical conditions," Ms Sabatini said.
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"Our team is looking forward to coming to Bendigo Agricultural Show and conducting the heart health checks. We know these checks save lives."
For more information about Latrobe Health Services free heart health checks visit www.latrobehealth.com.au/healthyhearts.
Should you have any concerns about your heart health or any other health concerns, please seek the advice of your trusted healthcare professional.
The free heart health checks at the Bendigo Agricultural Show will run from 9am to 9pm on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28. No booking is required.
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