Shane Warne's death has many asking: How likely are heart attacks in your 50s? And how can I protect my heart?

The news of Shane Warne's untimely death of a suspected heart attack at the age of only 52 years has left many cricket fans reeling.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia — and worldwide, including in the United States, where two in ten people who die of heart disease are aged under 65.

Heart disease is highly preventable, so it's never too early to consider what you can do to improve the health of your heart. Here are five evidence-based ways to do this.

When someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly of heart disease, people will often say «but they exercised regularly, didn't smoke and ate well».

But some of the main risk factors for heart disease — including high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol — are things you need to have checked by a doctor.

If you're aged 45 years or older and do not already have heart disease, Australia's current guidelines recommend having a heart health check by your GP.

A heart health check combines information on your risk factors and estimates how likely you are to develop heart disease in the next five years.

Your GP can use this information to identify whether you need to make lifestyle changes, and whether you would benefit from preventive medications to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Blood pressure — and cholesterol-lowering medications each lower the risk of developing heart disease by around 25 per cent. So if they're recommended for you, using them long-term is an effective way to reduce your risk.

However, a study using data from 2012 found around 76 per cent of Australians aged 45 to 74 years at high risk of a first-time heart attack or stroke weren't using these life-saving treatments.

Diabetes is another important cause of heart disease. Your GP will be