The first of April saw the introduction of two new Medicare items allowing eligible patients (those aged 45 and over, or 35 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) to be assessed for their risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

These are the so-called heart health checks.

While many of the common risk factors for heart disease are shared between men and women, young and middle-aged women have some that men don’t.

For example, PCOS as well as complications during and after pregnancy are all important considerations.