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Focus on Heart Disease, Say Experts

Posted on: Friday, 11 February 2005, 09:00 CST

Although heart disease is Britain's biggest killer, a new report published today reveals Midlanders are more worried about developing cancer or Alzheimer's disease.

While more than half (51 per cent) fear cancer and 16 per cent are concerned about Alzheimer's or dementia, less than one in ten (nine per cent) consider heart disease a risk.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) study - Living With Heart Disease: Patients In Need - reveals more people are now living with the condition, than those who die from it.

Six out of ten Midlanders, no longer think heart disease is a 'quick way to go', which is a major shift from a 2002 survey, which reported 52 per cent felt it would be a quick exit.

But many are unaware how heart disease would impact their day-to- day lives, with 40 per cent thinking it would only affect them 'slightly'.

Professor Michael Frenneaux, BHF chair of cardiovascular medicine at Birmingham University, said people fail to realise heart disease can be a 'major disability.'

'While considerable progress has been made in increasing the chances of surviving a heart attack, what few people realise is that the numbers of people living with the consequences of heart disease is rapidly rising,' he said.

He pointed out: 'In particular, heart failure, a condition in which the heart does not pump effectively, causes people to be breathless, tired and in severe cases unable to undertake the most minor physical activity.'

The report has been published to highlight the charity's Real Valentine Appeal, which aims to raise pounds 1 million to fund 30 new heart nurses across the UK, to reach an extra 10,000 patients.

Jane Stubley, BHF Heart Nurse at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospital Trust, said: 'I see patients struggling to live with their damaged heart on a daily basis, but the care and support I provide can make a big difference to their quality of life.'

If you want more information about BHF's Real Valentine Appeal, go to www.bhf.org.uk/realvalentine or to make a donation call 0800 389 7087.

Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)

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