There are two major clinical forms - heart attack (often known as ‘acute myocardial infarction’ or AMI) and angina.

Coronary heart disease is the term that describes what happens when your heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

Over time, the walls of your arteries can become clogged up with fatty deposits. This process is known as ‘atherosclerosis’ and the fatty deposits are called ‘atheroma’.

Atherosclerosis can be caused by lifestyle habits and other conditions such as:

• being inactive
• being overweight
• having an unhealthy diet
• smoking
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• diabetes

If your doctor thinks you are at risk of CHD, they may carry out a risk assessment. This involves asking about your medical and family history, asking about your lifestyle and requesting a blood test.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners also recommends that if you are concerned about cardiovascular disease but have no symptoms, talk to your doctor or specialist about whether the benefits will outweigh the risks involved with specific testing for heart disease or stroke. For further information, visit the Choosing Wisely Australia website.

Are you at risk?

Find out if you're at risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes or kidney disease using our Risk Checker.

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australia recommends that if you are over 75 years of age, you need to talk to your doctor or specialist about the risks and benefits of testing and treating your cholesterol. For further information, visit the Choosing Wisely Australia website.