Before your heart health check visit, you can build your knowledge and think about questions to ask your GP.

Questions to ask your GP
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Learn about your heart health

This section will help to build your knowledge of heart disease. The more you know before your visit to the GP, the more you will get out of your appointment.

Heart health knowledge

I. What is heart disease?

Tick the statements you agree with.

Heart disease affects your heart and blood vessels.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Heart disease affects the heart but it also affects the blood vessels around your body, including in your brain.

Incorrect

Heart disease affects the heart but it also affects the blood vessels around your body, including in your brain.

Heart disease can’t usually be prevented.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Most people can prevent heart disease through a healthy lifestyle, and medication if your doctor suggests it.

Incorrect

Most people can prevent heart disease through a healthy lifestyle, and medication if your doctor suggests it.

Heart disease is a short-term illness.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Heart disease is a long term condition that develops over time.

Incorrect

Heart disease is a long term condition that develops over time.

Heart disease can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Heart disease can lead to serious problems that can affect your heart and brain.

Incorrect

Heart disease can lead to serious problems that can affect your heart and brain.

II. What causes heart disease?

Tick the statements you agree with.

Anyone can get heart disease.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Anyone can get heart disease so it’s important to get your risk factors like blood pressure checked.

Incorrect

Anyone can get heart disease so it’s important to get your risk factors like blood pressure checked.

Heart disease risk only affects older people.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

The risk of heart disease increases as you get older. But younger people can have heart attacks and strokes too.

Incorrect

The risk of heart disease increases as you get older. But younger people can have heart attacks and strokes too.

Smoking has some bad health effects, and it affects your heart.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. It increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Incorrect

Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. It increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Risk factors you can change include blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and weight.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

There are many risk factors you can control through a healthy lifestyle. You can also take medicine if your doctor suggests it.

Incorrect

There are many risk factors you can control through a healthy lifestyle. You can also take medicine if your doctor suggests it.

III. What is a Heart Health Check?

Tick the statements you agree with.

A Heart Health Check checks your risk factors to work out if you are high risk.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Your GP will use a calculator to work out your risk level. The calculator includes things like your age, gender, smoking history, blood pressure, cholesterol and medical conditions.

Incorrect

Your GP will use a calculator to work out your risk level. The calculator includes things like your age, gender, smoking history, blood pressure, cholesterol and medical conditions.

You need a referral to a specialist to get a heart health check.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

You do not need a referral to get a heart health check with your GP. If you have extra risk factors, your GP will let you know if you need to see a specialist.

Incorrect

You do not need a referral to get a heart health check with your GP. If you have extra risk factors, your GP will let you know if you need to see a specialist.

You can get a heart health check from your GP.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Your GP is the first place to go to find out about your heart health.

Incorrect

Your GP is the first place to go to find out about your heart health.

You should get a heart health check only if you have a history of heart disease.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Anyone can develop heart disease. So it’s important to get your risk factors like blood pressure checked, even if you feel healthy.

Incorrect

Anyone can develop heart disease. So it’s important to get your risk factors like blood pressure checked, even if you feel healthy.

IV. How can I reduce my risk of heart disease?

Tick the statements you agree with.

Getting more exercise can lower your heart disease risk.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Being active can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. You can start today with something easy like walking more.

Incorrect

Being active can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. You can start today with something easy like walking more.

Reducing salt in your diet can lower your heart disease risk.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

Having a healthy diet can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Reducing unhealthy snacks is a great way to start.

Incorrect

Having a healthy diet can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Reducing unhealthy snacks is a great way to start.

You will know if your cholesterol and blood pressure gets too high.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

You may not feel any symptoms if your cholesterol or blood pressure go up. So it’s important to get checked and know your numbers.

Incorrect

You may not feel any symptoms if your cholesterol or blood pressure go up. So it’s important to get checked and know your numbers.

If you have any risk factors for heart disease, you will need medicine.

Agree

Disagree

Correct

You might not need medicine for your risk factors. It depends on things like your age and gender too. Your GP will consider many different factors before they suggest taking medicine.

Incorrect

You might not need medicine for your risk factors. It depends on things like your age and gender too. Your GP will consider many different factors before they suggest taking medicine.

Questions to ask your GP at your heart health check

Your doctor may suggest changes to your lifestyle, heart scans or medicines to lower your risk. Here are some questions you can ask your GP to help you make decisions about your heart health.

1. What are my choices?

Your doctor may suggest changes to your lifestyle, heart scans or medicines to lower your risk. Here are some questions you can ask your GP to help you make decisions about your heart health.

2. What are the possible benefits and harms of those choices?

This question asks your doctor to explain the benefits and harms of each choice. Cholesterol medicine may be a choice. A benefit may be reducing your chances of a heart attack. A harm may be feeling sick from the medicine.

3. How likely are each of those benefits and harms to happen to me?

This question asks your doctor to explain the likelihood that you will benefit or harm from the choices. Your risk factors and medical history may impact whether a medicine will benefit you.

Watch this video to learn more about the type of questions you can ask your GP.

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