Advara HeartCare CEO Dr David O\u2019Donnell told 7NEWS<\/a> many still wrongly believe it is mainly a male condition.<\/p>\n Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe often use the statistics that more women die of heart disease than die of breast cancer. And if you\u2019re a 50 year old woman, you\u2019re three to four times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd yet everyone is out there getting their mammograms and their breast checks. We need every woman to focus just as much on getting their heart checked.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the biggest dangers is that symptoms in women can look very different from the classic signs associated with a heart attack.<\/p>\n \u201cSymptoms can vary quite dramatically. And in women, it\u2019s commonly pain in different locations, in the jaw, in the abdomen, in the arm. And sometimes there\u2019s no pain at all,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a profound nausea, sweating, feeling pale, feeling unwell, feeling dizzy. So the presentation can be quite different in women and men.\u201d<\/p>\n The Heart Foundation\u2019s Natalie Raffoul says complacency is a major problem, and that many women were unaware they even had risk factors.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, the common feature of heart disease across women and men is complacency, not knowing that it\u2019s an issue for you, not being aware of your risk factors,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the case of women, a lot of the time we see that they\u2019re very busy taking care of their families and taking care of others and often overlook their own health.\u201d<\/p>\n The warning comes as the Heart Foundation urges all Australians aged over 45 to book a Medicare subsidised heart health check with their GP during Heart Week.<\/p>\n The 20 minute check includes blood pressure and cholesterol checks, family history and an assessment of a person\u2019s risk of developing heart disease within the next five years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the opportunity for us to pick up your risk early and treat it before it develops into a heart attack,\u201d Raffoul said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis kind of check is life saving and it could really benefit you and your family.\u201d<\/p>\n For some patients, doctors may also recommend a coronary artery calcium score test.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a specialised CT scan that looks for calcified plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Doctors say it can detect hidden heart disease before symptoms appear or before a patient suffers a heart attack.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat it tells us is, do you actually have disease in your heart? We\u2019re not trying to guess what your risk is, we\u2019re trying to work out if there\u2019s disease there or not,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said.<\/p>\n But the test is not currently covered by Medicare and can cost patients up to $800.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is an out of pocket cost associated with this, although most of the cardiology groups are trying very hard to get this rebated and I think the government\u2019s listening.\u201d<\/p>\n For Tasmanian cyclist Sharron Yaxley, that warning became reality. Despite a strong family history of heart disease, the active mother of four said she was repeatedly reassured she was healthy by her GP.<\/p>\n \u201cI was fit and healthy and I wasn\u2019t having any symptoms and I was passing all of the usual tests,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Yaxley eventually pushed for a calcium score test after a friend suffered a cardiac arrest. The results shocked her. Within days, she was rushed into open heart surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s barbaric, they cut you from here to here,\u201d she said, pointing at her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lost arteries up my arm, it\u2019s a difficult recovery. I was devastated.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the ordeal, Yaxley says she feels fortunate and is urging all women who may think something is wrong to get a proper check up.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, know your calcium score. Push for more than the regular tests, push for a scan to have your calcium score calculated.\u201d<\/p>\n She has since recovered and just 12 months after surgery fulfilled her dream of cycling through Europe.<\/p>\n Yaxley\u2019s message for other women is simple<\/p>\n \u201cNow is the time to get your heart checked,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Body pulled from water in rock fishing tragedy<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n![\"Symptoms](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6bfc17eccc29e45d9deb6ba49f6669a6df8c5af8-16x9-x0y0w1920h1080.jpg\")
Symptoms in women can look very different from the classic signs associated with a heart attack in men. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3ced1e90df55c755145650199ba81aea87793125-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg\")
A coronary artery calcium score test looks for calcified plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n![\"Sharron](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a04f7fff87920ac350427027349239a9268daff8-16x9-x0y0w1920h1080.jpg\")
Sharron Yaxley pushed for a calcium score test due to a strong family history of heart disease. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n![\"Sharron](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/47ac2a29fd5915938fa6eb1c9d4aa07bc29573dd-16x9-x0y0w1920h1080.jpg\")
Sharron Yaxley fulfilled her dream of cycling through Europe 12 months after surgery. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n