The Heart Foundation and TAL, an Australia’s life insurer, have launched an initiative to help younger Australians understand that heart disease prevention starts early, not later in life.
The campaign targets people aged 18 to 34, many of whom still believe heart disease is not a concern at their age, according to Heart Foundation data. Risks often start building years before symptoms appear.
The Heart Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fighting the single biggest killer of people in Australia – heart disease. For more than 60 years, it has led the battle to save lives and improve the heart health of all people in Australia. Its sights are set on a world where people don’t suffer or die prematurely because of heart disease.
Evidence shows heart disease that appears later in life can begin developing as early as the teenage years. Diet, exercise, smoking, vaping, stress, blood pressure, and cholesterol all shape that trajectory.
The Heart Foundation and TAL, now in the second year of their partnership, are focusing on myths and misconceptions that younger people hold about heart health.
Common myths held by younger Australians, according to the Heart Foundation’s 2025 State of the Heart survey:
- More than one in three (37%) people aged 18 to 34 believe they would feel warning signs if they had high blood pressure, despite it often having no symptoms.
- More than one in five (22%) younger adults believe they are too young to worry about heart disease, even though it can begin developing early in life.
- Around one quarter (25%) of younger Australians believe heart disease mostly affects men, despite women accounting for almost half of cardiovascular deaths.
- About one in ten (11%) younger adults believe family history means they cannot reduce their risk of heart disease.
The Heart Foundation’s 2025 State of the Heart survey found that 37% of Australians aged 18 to 34 believe they would feel warning signs if they had high blood pressure. In many cases, high blood pressure has no symptoms.
More than one in five younger adults, or 22%, believe they are too young to worry about heart disease. About 25% believe heart disease mostly affects men, even though women account for almost half of cardiovascular deaths.
Another 11% of younger adults believe family history means they cannot reduce their heart disease risk. That view misses the practical part. Fixed risk factors matter, but behaviour still changes outcomes.
Dr Dannii Dougherty, head of clinical evidence at the Heart Foundation, said young people face a difficult information environment. She said constant exposure to health content makes it harder to separate reliable evidence from noise.
The partnership with TAL aims to help younger people understand the science behind good health and how choices made now can affect health later.
TAL General Manager Health Services Dr Priya Chagan said younger Australians are in a strong position to protect heart health. She said the Heart Foundation’s researched-backed information gives them practical tools to act earlier.
Chagan said heart disease remains one of the leading causes of life insurance claims at TAL, including among younger customers. According to Beinsure analysts, that link explains why life insurers are increasingly investing in prevention: better health engagement reduces claims pressure and improves customer outcomes over time.
Chagan added that actions taken in a person’s 20s and 30s have a real effect on long-term health. Small, steady lifestyle choices can make a significant difference.
Some heart disease risk factors cannot be changed, including age, sex, ethnicity, and family history. People reduce risk by staying active, avoiding smoking and vaping, managing stress, and checking blood pressure and cholesterol.
TAL’s three-year strategic partnership with the Heart Foundation forms part of the insurer’s Health for Life programme. The programme encourages people in Australia to stay informed, check in on their health, and take early action to detect or prevent health conditions.
The partnership also supports the Heart Foundation’s preventative programmes, medical research, and services for people living with heart disease.
For over 150 years, TAL has been protecting people, not things. Together with its partners, TAL insures more than 5 mn customers and offers life insurance through the following channels: direct to consumer; through a financial adviser; and via group and workplace superannuation schemes. TAL is part of the Dai-ichi Life Group, one of the world’s largest insurance groups.
