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MEDIA ALERT

EMBARGOED: 12:01AM AEST, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2025

                                                                                                        

More than one in three Australians with an irregular heartbeat
experience four or more symptoms before visiting a doctor:
new research will reveal

​

Experts to champion greater heart health awareness, education and action

​

Heart experts, advocates and patients will unite nationwide tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to champion greater community awareness, education and proactive action for heart health.

 

Their call will coincide with the release of new research revealing more than one in three (34%) Australians aged 50 and above living with the most common, sustained heart rhythm disorder – atrial fibrillation (AF) 1-3 or an irregular heartbeat – wait until experiencing four or more symptoms before seeking medical advice.4

 

More than half a million Australians have AF5 – a lifelong, progressive disease6 where faulty electrical signals of the heart cause the top chambers of the heart, known as the atria, to beat faster, erratically7,8 and out of rhythm with the heart’s lower two chambers, the ventricles.3

 

AF cases in those aged 55 and above are projected to double over the next two decades,1 driven by our ageing population and the rising rates of excess weight and obesity.9

 

People living with AF face a threefold increased risk of heart failure, nearly five times the likelihood of having a stroke, and double the risk of developing dementia.9,10

 

Concerningly, the burden and prevalence of this serious, life-compromising disease 4,11 is often underestimated because 30% to 40% of patients may show no obvious symptoms, which makes diagnosis challenging.1

 

Heart experts maintain the underestimation of disease prevalence,1 combined with low community awareness,4 and many patients showing no obvious AF symptoms,9 is creating the “perfect storm” for one of the largest, and most pressing public health epidemics.12-14

 

To learn more about the new AF research, and why early diagnosis and intervention is crucial for effective management of the disease, set up an interview with a spokesperson.​

​

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

EXPERTS

Dr Tomos Walters

Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Queensland Cardiovascular Group, BRISBANE

Dr Ben Hunt

Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Pindara Private Hospital,

GOLD COAST

A/Prof Raymond Sy

Cardiologist; Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Hospital, and Mater Hospital; Director of Arrhythmia Service; and Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sydney, SYDNEY

Dr Ihab El-Sokkari

Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology Services, Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Nepean Public and Private Hospitals and Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney, SYDNEY

Dr Emily Kotschet

Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Monash Heart, Holmesglen Private Hospital, Cabrini Hospital, Mulgrave Private Hospital and St John of God Berwick Hospital, MELBOURNE

Dr Christian Verdicchio

CEO, Heart Support Australia, Clinician-researcher and Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney & University of Adelaide, ADELAIDE

Dr Ben King

Specialist Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist; Clinical Lead of the Ventricular Tachycardia Service, Fiona Stanley Hospital; and Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia, PERTH

PATIENT ADVOCATE

Tanya Hall

Founder and CEO of hearts4heart now living well with AF, PERTH

AUSTRALIANS LIVING WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Justine, 54

Triple cancer survivor, Multiple Sclerosis advocate, award-winning international keynote speaker, mother and grandmother living with AF, GEELONG

Tom, 78

Former real estate agent, father and grandfather living with AF, MELBOURNE

Gai, 72

Retired pharmacist and business owner, mother and grandmother living with AF, MELBOURNE

Andrew, 59

Business owner, soccer player and stepfather to two whose symptoms of
AF were triggered by emotional trauma, SYDNEY

Gregory, 59

Water quality technician, father of two, and car enthusiast diagnosed with AF following a workplace accident, BATHURST

Graeme, 55

Father-of-two, government infrastructure executive and sportsman warned of atrial fibrillation symptoms by his smartwatch, BRISBANE

Elaine, 81

Avid gardener and former seamstress alerted to symptoms of atrial fibrillation via her smartwatch, BRISBANE

Don, 49

Former cosmetic dentist, avid tennis player and father-to-three
alerted to symptoms of AF via a smartwatch, GOLD COAST

Kristy, 44

Mother to one, housekeeper and motorbike enthusiast, who first experienced symptoms of atrial fibrillation during labour, GAWLER, SA

Tanya Hall

Founder and CEO of hearts4heart now living well with AF, PERTH

About Antenna market research

Boston Scientific commissioned Antenna to perform an online, quantitative survey on atrial fibrillation (AF), involving a nationally representative sample of 1,015 Australians aged 50+ years between January 7 to 12, 2025.1 The data was weighted by age and gender to reflect the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population estimates.

 

Boston Scientific Pty Ltd, PO Box 332 Botany NSW 1455 Australia. Tel +61 2 8063 8100

   References

  1. ​Brieger D, Amerena J, Attia J, Bajorek B, Chan KH, Connell C, et al. National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation 2018. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 2018;27(10):1209-66.

  2. Calkins H, Hindricks G, Cappato R, Kim YH, Saad EB, Aguinaga L, et al. 2017 HRS/EHRA/ECAS/APHRS/SOLAECE expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. 2017;14(10):e275-e444.

  3. Heart Foundation. What is atrial fibrillation? [Available from: https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/atrial-fibrillation].

  4. Understanding AF: Awareness Symptoms and Heart Health Actions. Antenna; 2025.

  5. Australian Institute of Health Welfare. Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts Canberra [Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/all-heart-stroke-and-vascular-disease/atrial-fibrillation].

  6. Sale A, Yu J. Quality of life instruments in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review of measurement properties. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2022;20(1):143.

  7. Nesheiwat Z GA, Jagtap M. Atrial Fibrillation. StatPearls [Internet] Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan. 2023.

  8. John Hopkins Medicine. What Is Afib? [Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/atrial-fibrillation].

  9. Kistler PM, Sanders P, Amarena JV, Bain CR, Chia KM, Choo W-K, et al. 2023 Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Expert Position Statement on Catheter and Surgical Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 2024;33(24):828-81, 1443-9506.

  10. American Heart Association. What are the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation? [Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation/what-are-the-symptoms-of-atrial-fibrillation-afib-or-af].

  11. Randolph TC, Simon DN, Thomas L, Allen LA, Fonarow GC, Gersh BJ, et al. Patient factors associated with quality of life in atrial fibrillation. Am Heart J. 2016;182:135-43.

  12. Wong CX, Brown A, Tse HF, Albert CM, Kalman JM, Marwick TH, et al. Epidemiology of Atrial Fibrillation:
    The Australian and Asia-Pacific Perspective. Heart Lung Circ. 2017;26(9):870-9.

  13. Lippi G, Sanchis-Gomar F, Cervellin G. Global epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: An increasing epidemic and public health challenge. Int J Stroke. 2021;16(2):217-21.

  14. Ball J, Carrington MJ, McMurray JJ, Stewart S. Atrial fibrillation: profile and burden of an evolving epidemic in the 21st century. Int J Cardiol. 2013;167(5):1807-24.

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