Heart Foundation Victoria's Director of Cardiovascular Health Programs Kellie-Ann Jolly said after a heart attack, people need help to adjust to a new way of life that includes watching what they eat, taking daily medications and scheduling regular exercise.

"Connecting with people who have also experienced the trauma of a heart event can help people stay informed, maintain a healthy lifestyle and make new connections in their community," Ms Jolly said.

Heart Foundation Victoria is hosting the free forum, with support from the Victorian Government, to help people living with heart disease to get the information they need to improve their quality of life and know there is community support available.

"People who have little or no support after a heart attack have a higher risk of being readmitted to hospital and are less likely to make the lifestyle changes needed to keep their hearts healthy," Ms Jolly said.

Heart peer support groups are valuable in helping people feel less isolated and more hopeful about their condition. This is particularly so for people who live in regional areas such as the Grampians.

Robyn Fennell, Secretary of Heartbeat Victoria - an organisation that has several support groups across Victoria including Ararat and Stawell - said people can feel quite overwhelmed after being diagnosed with a heart condition or experiencing a heart attack.

"Having a cardiac event not only affects individuals but also their families and carers. Everyone has to make adjustments to support each other and often the person with the heart condition can feel a loss of control of their status and worth.

"Peer support groups are really valuable in connecting people and providing opportunities to share personal experiences with people who "have been there, done that".

Being kept informed about current health treatments and information about healthy eating and exercising helps people keep focused and motivated to maintain heart health. It is easy for people to slip into old habits once the support of a cardiac rehabilitation program is removed", Mrs Fennell said.

To find out if there is a heart support group near you, contact Heart Foundation Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87 for the cost of a local call.

Registrations for the Stawell Heart Health Support Forum close today. To register, contact Tess Pryor at the Heart Foundation on (03) 9321 1561.

The Stawell forum is being held on Wednesday, May 13 from 10am - 3pm at the Comfort Inn Goldfields on the Western Highway, Stawell.