The Heart Foundation's top 20 heart attack "hot spots" lists Ballarat as the fifth worst local government area (LGA) in Victoria, along with Loddon and Buloke.

Comparing the 20 LGAs with the Victorian Population Health Survey 2011-12 also showed residents of these areas were more likely to have heart disease lifestyle risk factors.

Heart Foundation Victoria chief executive officer Diana Heggie said the data showed a need for stronger heart attack screening and prevention programs.

"Our analysis found people living in Victoria's top 20 heart attack hot spots are more likely to smoke, be overweight or obese, have high blood pressure or drink soft drinks every day," Ms Heggie said.

"Heart health checks will identify those at risk of heart attack and ensure they will get the right treatment before a life-threatening emergency strikes.

"Getting services on the ground and in local communities with the highest risk will help save lives and reduce costly hospital admissions."

The Courier reported in August Ballarat was also the worst Victorian region for cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks and strokes, and was the most physically inactive region in Australia.

However, based only on heart attack rates, the worst LGAs are Central Goldfields (25 per 10,000), Towong (22), Pyrenees, Southern Grampians and Horsham (21) and Yarriambiack (20).

Rounding out the top 20 are Hepburn, Ararat, Corangamite and Campaspe (18), Swan Hill, Latrobe and Mount Alexander (17) and Greater Dandenong, Wellington, Golden Plains and Wodonga (16).

All of the top 20 are well ahead of the state average of 11 heart attacks per 10,000 people.

Among the top 20, Ballarat sits mid-range for heart attack risk factors, including 13th for smoking (15.6 per cent of the population), 14th for being overweight (32.9), 12th for obesity (18.8), eighth for high blood pressure (26.6) and 12th for daily consumption of sweetened soft drinks (19.5).

However, it is above the state average of 32.5 per cent of overweight people, 17.3 for obesity, 24.5 for hypertension and 15.9 for drinking sugary soft drinks but is just below the 15.7 per cent smoking rate.

"With the number of people with heart disease expected to rise by 36 per cent over the next decade, the need to screen and manage people at risk of heart attack is critical," Ms Heggie said.

fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au