Latest news with #SeanTan
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Shane Warne heart tests bowl up 'bittersweet' results
Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain. The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests. The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent). Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies. Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year. Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas. The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said. "Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute. Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change. The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet". "We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said. "Shane would have wanted this to make a difference." Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians. Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication. The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said. "Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said. "We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent." Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain. The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests. The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent). Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies. Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year. Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas. The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said. "Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute. Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change. The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet". "We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said. "Shane would have wanted this to make a difference." Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians. Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication. The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said. "Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said. "We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent." Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain. The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests. The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent). Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies. Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year. Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas. The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said. "Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute. Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change. The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet". "We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said. "Shane would have wanted this to make a difference." Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians. Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication. The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said. "Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said. "We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent."
West Australian
4 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Shane Warne heart tests bowl up 'bittersweet' results
Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain. The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests. The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent). Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies. Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year. Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas. The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said. "Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute. Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change. The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet". "We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said. "Shane would have wanted this to make a difference." Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians. Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication. The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said. "Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said. "We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent."
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Shane Warne heart tests bowl up 'bittersweet' results
Shane Warne was a master at putting rival batsmen under the pump and Australians' hearts are facing similar strain. The late king-of-spin died, aged 52, in March 2022 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cause of his sudden death lead to Shane Warne Legacy setting up medical grade heart health check-up machines at the MCG during the past two Boxing Day Tests. The results of the debut stadium initiative, in concert with 311 community pharmacy stations, were analysed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7740 at the MCG. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday, showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9 per cent) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2 per cent), elevated body mass index (60.5 per cent) and being a smoker (12.1 per cent). Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies. Of those with high blood pressure, more than seven out of 10 were not taking anti-hypertensive medications and just a tick under half hadn't had a check in the past year. Participants at rural pharmacies were more likely to report diabetes and have higher rates of all risk factors compared to those screened in urban areas. The study showed large-scale community screening was effective and powerful, its lead author Sean Tan said. "Meeting people where they are, whether that's at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes," said Dr Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute. Warne's long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy's mission to turn his untimely death into a catalyst for change. The charity's chief executive described the results as "bittersweet". "We're proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there's still work to do," Ms Nolan said. "Shane would have wanted this to make a difference." Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and impacts one in six Australians. Many of the risk factors are preventable or manageable through lifestyle changes and medication. The results should prompt national conversations about how and where Australia delivers preventative health care, Victorian Heart Hospital and Victorian Heart Institute director Stephen Nicholls said. "Shane Warne's legacy isn't just about cricket, it's now about changing the heart health of a nation," Professor Nicholls said. "We owe it to Australians to make health checks more accessible, more visible, and more frequent."
The Star
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
CGC targets mid-tier companies to provide ease of access to bank loans
KUALA LUMPUR: Mid-tier companies (MTCs) – often overlooked in the financing landscape – are getting a targeted boost through an enhanced credit guarantee scheme by Credit Guarantee Corp Malaysia Bhd (CGC), designed to ease their access to bank loans, especially for growth-stage firms lacking collateral. Launched on Feb 25, the BizJamin/-i MTC scheme is CGC's dedicated programme for MTCs, offering credit guarantees of up to RM20mil per customer with total group exposure limit of up to RM60mil. The scheme supports a wide range of facilities, including term loans, trade lines and revolving credit, with guarantee cover of up to 80% and tenures of up to 15 years. In a recent enhancement to the scheme, CGC provides guarantee for unsecured financing of between RM1mil and RM5mil – a move aimed at further easing access to funding for growth-stage MTCs that may lack sufficient collateral. 'MTCs often operate as the unsung heroes of our economy,' CGC chief business officer Sean Tan said at the CGC mid-tier momentum 2025 forum yesterday. MTCs – defined as entities generating between RM50mil and RM500mil in revenue for manufacturers, and RM20mil to RM500mil for service providers – represented only 0.8% of all registered businesses and they contributed 36% of Malaysia's gross domestic product. 'Many are on the cusp of regional or international expansion, yet they frequently encounter hurdles in scaling up, especially when it comes to accessing adequate financing,' he said. To address this, he said CGC launched the BizJamin/-i MTC scheme which is backed by 28 financial institutions. 'This is about enabling access, particularly for those in the 'missing middle' –companies too large for typical small and medium enterprise schemes but not yet sizeable for corporate credit standards,' Tan pointed out. Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies honorary president Callum Chen said the financing gap remains a key barrier for MTCs to grow. 'MTCs need more support. The myth is that MTCs don't need support,' he said. 'Without the funds, without the support from the banks, how can we grow?' According to Chen, a scheme like this not only helps mid-tier businesses, but creates ripple effects across the broader economy. 'When mid-tier companies expand, we bring in more foreign exchange, create more employment and pay more taxes,' he said. Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing vice-president Datuk Noraini Soltan said the capital-intensive nature of the manufacturing sector makes access to financing critical – not just for efficiency, but also to stay competitive globally. 'Many of our members are exporters. They need improved access to affordable financing to initiate environmental, social and governance or ESG efforts to meet supply chain compliance,' she said during a panel discussion titled 'Innovative financing: Leveraging bank and CGC support for business growth'. 'They're ready to do their part, but lack the financial muscle to get started.' She called for financial tools tailored to MTC profiles and simplified access frameworks. 'Working capital is currently under severe strain. Leveraging CGC's guarantee scheme can be transformative – especially for companies investing in sustainability or gearing up for future shocks.' CIMB Bank Bhd group commercial banking head of SME banking Jaya Balan Kathiravalu said mid-tier companies, while not often discussed, are very much part of the banking ecosystem. 'If you look at the SME setup, we talk about micro, small and medium – but there's still a portion we don't talk a lot about, which is the MTCs. And that's actually a big 25% to 30% for banks,' he said. He added that banks are already organised to support the segment. 'Within the bank, we have dedicated teams for micro, small, medium and large businesses. So there's no shortage of focus in driving growth across all core segments. 'For the country to grow, all portions of the business must grow as an ecosystem,' he said, adding that businesses should also invest more in research and development to stay competitive and avoid losing market share. Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd group institutional banking director of commercial client solutions Ahmad Haliman Abdul Halim said the current environment offers a reset moment for MTCs. 'We see this not just as a hurdle but a catalyst for MTCs to strengthen resilience and pursue new purpose-driven growth,' he said. 'That includes investing in digitalisation, ESG compliance and operational excellence to move up the value chain.' CGC, established in 1972 to assist micro SMEs with inadequate or without collateral to get loans from banks by providing guarantees, is 78.65%-owned by Bank Negara and 21.35% owned by the commercial banks in Malaysia. As of June 2025, CGC has provided over 540,000 guarantees and financing to MSMEs valued at over RM100bil since its inception.
