EP282: St Lukes Joins Forces With Healthy Heart Network To Combat Heart Disesase in Tasmania

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Podcast Episode Summary Introduction Dr. Warrick Bishop, a cardiologist, author, and CEO of the Healthy Heart Network based in Hobart, hosts this episode focused on addressing Tasmania's significant heart disease problem. He is joined by Luke Cameron, Chief Health Officer of St Luke's Health, to discuss an exciting new partnership aimed at improving cardiovascular health outcomes in Tasmania. The episode centers on a pilot study using coronary artery calcium scoring via CT scanning as a more precise method for identifying and assessing individual heart disease risk. Key Takeaways: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Tasmania, accounting for approximately one in eight deaths, with around 38,000 Tasmanians currently living with heart disease. Traditional risk calculators are population-based tools that don't accurately reflect individual risk, whereas CT scanning for coronary artery calcium provides precision medicine by directly visualizing plaque buildup in arteries. The St Luke's Health and Dr. Warrick Bishop partnership will launch a pilot study recruiting 100 participants for virtual heart assessments, with recommendations for coronary artery calcium score CT scans based on results. Calcium scoring identifies calcification in arteries, which appears as bright white spots on CT scans and serves as a surrogate marker for cholesterol deposits and plaque buildup. Medical practitioners have been reluctant to mainstream calcium scoring because double-blind, randomized controlled trials (the gold standard for evidence) are ethically impossible to conduct with this diagnostic tool. Lifestyle modifications like exercise and healthy eating don't necessarily eliminate plaque once it has formed, making direct scanning the most reliable way to assess individual cardiac status rather than guessing based on risk factors. Coronary artery calcium CT scanning costs hundreds of dollars—comparable to a set of tires—and is currently self-funded as there is no Medicare rebate, though it's available through GPs and Dr. Bishop's VirtualHeartCheck.com website. The pilot study has already achieved 20-30% uptake from St Luke's Health members within days of launch, indicating strong community interest in better heart health outcomes. Coronary artery disease kills one in four people, making it responsible for more deaths than all cancers combined, underscoring the critical importance of screening and prevention.