00:01It was the scan that silenced a room of cardiologists.
00:05In 2013, a small amount of dye injected into Jennifer Tucker's blood revealed a dark shadow.
00:11They spun the screen to me and they said,
00:14Mrs Tucker, you have a 90% blockage in your LAD.
00:19That's what we call the widow maker and you are really close to having a fatal incident.
00:23She was a 33-year-old young mother with an active lifestyle and no history of heart disease.
00:28And I will never forget that moment of thinking, how did I end up here?
00:33She ended up there after having trouble breathing from pushing a pram.
00:37More than a quarter of people who have a heart attack have no known risk factors.
00:41So researchers at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital are focusing on early detection.
00:46So this is what's driven our program to detect using novel blood tests.
00:50Dr Figtree's team has identified five traits or biomarkers common in the blood of 5,000 heart disease patients.
00:59We have a dream of actually having that blood-based biomarker that can be used to triage individuals in the
01:04community to go ahead and actually have that CT scan.
01:07While more clinical trials are needed, it's hoped one day GPs around the country will have access to the screening
01:12kits to be used in routine health checks.
01:14For doctors in regional and remote areas, that day can't come soon enough.
01:20In the north-west town of Bourke, one GP says two-thirds of his indigenous patients have significant heart disease.
01:27It's just really sad that people are dying in their 40s from heart attacks.
01:32Hope a simple blood test could turn the tide against the world's biggest killer.
01:36That's good news.
01:38I'll see you next time.
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