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  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Causes of death, Australia. Accessed 16 January, 2025.
  2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts. Accessed 16 January, 2025.

  3. Heart Foundation. Key statistics: cardiovascular disease. Accessed 16 January, 2025.

  4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Electronic cigarette use (vaping) in Australia in 2022–2023. Accessed 16 January, 2025.

  5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Overweight and obesity. Accessed 16 January, 2025.

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  14. Heart Foundation. What is a Heart Health Check? Accessed 17 January, 2025.

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  16. Dunlap D, Ding E, Abramo K, et al. Point-of-care testing, your cardiologist, and affairs at the heart. Cardiovascular Digital Health Journal. 2021/12/01/ 2021;2(6):331-335. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvdhj.2021.10.004

  17. Bavishi A, Patel RB. Addressing Comorbidities in Heart Failure: Hypertension, Atrial Fibrillation, and Diabetes. Heart Fail Clin. Oct 2020;16(4):441-456. doi:10.1016/j.hfc.2020.06.005

  18. Department of Health. National Strategic Action Plan for Heart Disease and Stroke. 2020.

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  20. Kovoor JG, Marschner S, Amarasekera A, et al. Public attitudes towards automated external defibrillators: results of a survey in the Australian general population. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1178184. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2023.1178184

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Your donation is vital to the ongoing work of the Heart Foundation and our vision of health for every heart. As Australia’s largest non-government funder of heart health research, your support helps us prevent heart disease and improve heart health across all communities.

Large or small, every contribution helps bring us closer to a future where heart health is achievable for all.

Together, we can make heart disease history.

Your donation is vital to the ongoing work of the Heart Foundation and our vision of health for every heart. As Australia’s largest non-government funder of heart health research, your support helps us prevent heart disease and improve heart health across all communities.

Large or small, every contribution helps bring us closer to a future where heart health is achievable for all.

Together, we can make heart disease history.

Scope

This guideline addresses:

The guideline primarily addresses the management of myocardial infarction (MI) caused by atherosclerotic plaque rupture, ulceration, fissure or erosion. Some recommendations may also apply to other MI types, such as MI due to oxygen supply/demand mismatch without acute coronary occlusion, particularly for acute treatment and post-hospital care (Figure 2). Specific guidance is included for MI due to non-atherosclerotic causes, such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).

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Figure 2 Revised classification of MI. Adapted from de Lemos et al. [11]. Both types of MI may present with ECG changes of ST-segment elevation (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation (NSTEMI). Abbreviations: CAD, coronary artery disease; MI, myocardial infarction.

Non-acute coronary syndrome presentations, non-cardiac chest pain and related cardiac conditions (e.g. heart failure, risk factors or comorbidities like cancer or diabetes) are outside the guideline's scope. Healthcare professionals should consult existing resources for comprehensive management of these conditions.

Last updated06 November 2025

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