A Cardiometabolic Health Assessment provides a comprehensive picture of your cardiovascular and metabolic health. New European recommendations are placing greater emphasis on assessing these factors together, with thyroid function also deserving consideration.
You may have had your annual health check, with your blood pressure and cholesterol reported as normal. But what about your thyroid? If it wasn’t discussed, you’re not alone. Thyroid function can be overlooked in routine cardiovascular and metabolic health assessments.
In January 2026, a European expert task force made a noteworthy recommendation. Every EU member state should offer structured, age-based cardiometabolic health checks. The recommendation covers far more than a blood pressure cuff and a single cholesterol number. It represents years of work. Cardiovascular, kidney, diabetes, and obesity specialists all had to agree on one shared approach.
Australia has not adopted this exact model. The framework is still worth understanding. It reflects where cardiometabolic screening is heading. Thyroid function has a legitimate place in that picture. It rarely gets mentioned in a standard check, though.
The EU’s New Push for Structured Cardiometabolic Checks
The recommendation comes from a task force representing cardiovascular, kidney, diabetes, and obesity specialists across Europe. It proposes checks tailored to three age groups, from under 35 through to over 65. The approach reflects a broader shift toward catching risk factors early. It does not wait for a diagnosis to force the issue.
For adults aged 35 to 65, the core panel is detailed. It includes blood pressure, a full lipid profile, fasting glucose, and HbA1c. Kidney function markers, BMI, and waist measurement round out the picture. Lipoprotein(a) gets checked once in adulthood, since it is largely genetic rather than lifestyle-driven.
This is a broader panel than most people associate with a routine check. It reflects a shift in thinking. Cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic risk are now treated as one connected picture, not three separate conversations.
Why Age-Based Tiering Makes Sense
Under 35, the focus sits on early detection and building self-awareness rather than treatment. Between 35 and 65, checks become systematic and repeat at least every five years. Past 65, the panel expands further, adding pulse checks for atrial fibrillation and peripheral pulse assessment.
This tiered approach reflects how cardiometabolic risk builds over time. A 30-year-old and a 70-year-old need different questions asked, even when the underlying markers overlap.
Why This Matters in Australia Too
Cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of death in Australia. The numbers explain why structured screening keeps getting attention.
The Scale of the Problem
Cardiovascular disease caused 42,300 deaths in 2024. That accounted for 23% of all deaths that year, roughly one death every 12 minutes. Coronary heart disease alone made up 38% of those deaths.
Acute coronary events, including heart attacks, reached 57,100 cases in 2023. Hospitalisations run even higher, at over 1,500 per day across the country. Prescription numbers tell a similar story. Cardiovascular medicines made up over a third of all PBS prescriptions dispensed in 2024–25.
The Detection Gap
Two reputable sources report noticeably different prevalence figures. The gap itself is informative. Government health data based on diagnosed conditions puts adult prevalence at 6.4%. Broader self-reported survey data puts it closer to 18%, nearly one in five adults.
That gap likely reflects underdiagnosis as much as anything else. Risk factors can sit quietly for years before meeting a formal diagnostic threshold. This is especially true when checks focus on only one or two markers at a time. A structured panel provides a fuller picture instead.
What a Full Panel Covers
A cardiometabolic check is designed to catch risk before it becomes disease. It is not just there to confirm disease once it has already developed. That distinction shapes which markers get included and how often they get repeated.
The Core Markers
Beyond blood pressure and cholesterol, a fuller panel typically checks fasting glucose and HbA1c together. Checking either one alone misses part of the picture. HbA1c reflects an average over months, while glucose captures a single moment. Kidney markers, including eGFR and a urine albumin test, catch early kidney strain. A standard blood panel can miss this entirely.
Waist circumference is checked alongside BMI too. Central body fat carries more metabolic risk than overall weight alone. This is worth flagging given how unevenly obesity-related risk falls across the population. One recent study found central obesity affecting 67.7% of Indigenous Australian women. The figure for men was 46.2%. Both figures sit well above national averages.
What Often Gets Left Out
Thyroid function rarely appears on a standard cardiovascular panel. This is despite a well-documented connection to heart health. That gap is worth understanding next. The fix, after all, is a simple blood test rather than anything invasive.
Why Thyroid Function Belongs in the Cardiometabolic Picture
Thyroid hormone affects the heart directly, not just metabolism in a general sense. An underactive thyroid is linked to higher cholesterol, a slower heart rate, and elevated blood pressure. An overactive thyroid can drive an irregular heartbeat, raising the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Thyroid disorders tend to develop gradually. Cardiologists have noted this slow progression. It is part of why thyroid disorders often go undetected until symptoms are well established. By that point, the cardiovascular risk has usually been building quietly for some time.
The risk is not limited to severe, obvious cases either. One Danish cohort study looked at people with untreated mild hypothyroidism. They had an 83% higher risk of developing heart problems. This was compared with people who were treated or had normal thyroid function.
This connection works in both directions. Stubborn cholesterol numbers that will not shift despite diet changes sometimes trace back to thyroid function. The same applies to heart palpitations that show up alongside other thyroid symptoms.
What This Means for Your Own Testing
A proper cardiovascular risk assessment belongs with your GP. This includes blood pressure, a full lipid profile, and glucose markers. Medicare’s Heart Health Check exists for exactly this purpose. It is worth booking if you have not had one recently. This applies especially once you pass 45, or earlier with a family history of heart disease.
Thyroid and broader hormone testing sits alongside that check, not instead of it. This is where a naturopathic clinic like ours adds a layer. A standard cardiovascular check does not typically include it. The connection is well documented in the research, though.
Do you want to know which thyroid markers are worth checking alongside your heart health? Our free guide, Thyroid Tests Guide (Australia), breaks each one down in plain language. Download it now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does thyroid function affect heart health?
Yes. An underactive thyroid is linked to higher cholesterol and a slower heart rate. An overactive thyroid can cause an irregular heartbeat. Both directions carry genuine cardiovascular risk, even at mild or subclinical levels.
What’s included in a full cardiometabolic health check?
A comprehensive check covers blood pressure, a full lipid profile, fasting glucose, and HbA1c. Kidney function markers, BMI, and waist measurement are also included. Some panels add lipoprotein(a) once in adulthood, since it does not need repeat testing.
Is this the same as an Australian Heart Health Check?
Not exactly, though they overlap. Medicare’s Heart Health Check focuses on cardiovascular risk factors specifically. A broader cardiometabolic panel, like the one proposed in Europe, adds kidney and metabolic markers too. It also covers a wider set of ages, rather than one standalone check.
Can thyroid testing replace a cardiovascular risk assessment?
No. Thyroid testing complements a proper cardiovascular check with your GP. That check covers blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. Thyroid testing does not replace it. This holds even when thyroid symptoms feel like the main issue at hand.
Ready to Look at the Fuller Picture?
Have your standard checks come back fine, but something still feels off? Thyroid function may be worth adding to the conversation. At The Lucy Rose Clinic, we look at the hormonal layer a standard check often misses. That gap can carry real weight, even when every other number looks fine.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our practitioners. We’ll talk through your symptoms and explain which thyroid and hormone markers are worth checking. This sits alongside your regular health checks, not in place of them.