Australian life insurer, TAL is pleased to announce a new three-year partnership with a leading authority in heart disease prevention and research funding, the Heart Foundation.
The partnership extends TAL's Health for Life program which empowers people living in Australia to take charge of their health by staying informed, checking in and taking early action to detect and prevent potential health conditions.
The life insurer's significant support of the Heart Foundation will help fund preventative programs, medical research and support for people living with heart disease.
Most heart attacks and strokes can be prevented with healthy choices. Around 99% of adults in Australia have one of six modifiable heart disease risk factors, while 54% have three or more1. These include smoking tobacco, stress and high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Through early detection and management, and lifestyle changes to address these risk factors, many heart attacks and strokes can be prevented.
The partners' ambition to reach millions of TAL's customers and those at risk in the community with their heart health message includes targeting younger Australians whose decisions now can have a positive long-term impact on their heart health.
Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd said, 'What you do now can impact the health of your heart down the track. It's never too early to start thinking about your risk factors for heart disease and taking small actions that can deliver a big gain for your health.'
'We share a goal to reach more people in Australia with the message of preventative health. By partnering with TAL, we're able to reach millions of their customers with this important information,' said Mr Lloyd.
The partnership announcement coincides with the launch of the TAL HeartChecker campaign which features awareness initiatives, including the promotion of the Heart Age Calculator and heart health content and information resources developed by the Heart Foundation.
TAL Chief Customer and Brand Officer, Alex Homer said TAL's partnership with the Heart Foundation would bolster Health for Life's Health Living initiatives, focused on providing information and tools to help Australians live healthier lives through proactive and preventative healthcare.
'At TAL, we want to support better health for our customers and the community, at every stage of life. By partnering with the Heart Foundation, a leading authority with years of expertise, we can provide evidence-based tools and information to help more Australians improve their heart health.'
'TAL HeartChecker, supported by the Heart Foundation, takes heart health back to basics, making the information easy to understand—and easy to follow,' said Mr Homer.
Some fixed risk factors for heart disease include age, sex, ethnicity, and family history. However, people can reduce their risk by being active, not smoking, and managing high blood pressure and cholesterol.
4.5 million Australians are living with cardiovascular disease. Conditions of the circulatory system, including heart attack and stroke, are responsible for 9% of TAL's claims—and the largest proportion of death claims (55%).
During the last financial year, TAL delivered targeted preventative health services through Health for Life, including health screening tool Health Scout and online mental health service Headlight to over 260,000 Australians.
More information about TAL HeartChecker.
1 https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/risk-factors/multiple-risk-factors
