There’s a myth out there….. 

That Heart Attacks just happen to old, unhealthy men. 

But the reality is that a Heart Attack can hit anyone, at any time.   

Men, women, young and old. In fact up to 30% of heart attack patients presenting at Royal North Shore Hospital are what we called ‘low risk’ or “Why me Doc?” heart attacks. 

“Why me?” – because they are usually fit, healthy, don’t smoke, don’t drink to excess, and have no family history – yet out of the blue they have a heart attack. And we don’t have answers to give them. And the percentage of these is up from 13% in the last decade.  

That’s over 25 people per day who wake up from their life saving operation and ask “Why me Doc”?  

Their lives will never the same again as they have to live with the uncertainty of “will this happen again?”. Could you imagine this happening to you or one of your loved ones? 

But fortunately, you can help us find much needed answers by supporting research projects such as BioHEART.  BioHEART is a comprehensive research project underway to provide much need answers – to the questions:  

• Why are these people having heart attacks?  

• What markers should a frontline GP look and test for?  
• Can we develop a simple test to determine the buildup of calcium in the arteries?  

Headed up by Professor Gemma Figtree the team includes cardiologists, nursing staff, clinicians and radiologists who are all working together to approach the problem from all angles to find answers. They have established a BioBank of medical data from blood samples donated by heart attack patients and those at risk of a heart attack. This allows the team to compare the disease in people with risk factors and those without, by comparing markers (genomic, metabolomic, inflammatory), to find answers to these life-saving questions.  

With heart disease still the single leading single cause of death in Australia, we need to continue vital heart research projects such as BioHEART – and we need your help. 

By making a donation today – you can help save countless lives and ongoing family heartache in the future. 

Thank you for your generosity.