Cardiology with care

Do you know ?

Heart disease (cardiovascular disease) remains the most common cause of death in Ireland.

Approximately 10,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease (CVD) - including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and other circulatory diseases. CVD is the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for 36% of all deaths.

22% of premature deaths (under age 65) are from CVD.

Two people die of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) every week in Ireland.

80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable.

One out of every two people have some form of heart disease.

It is recommended that people aged 14 years or older who are involved in high intensity sports should undergo a cardiac screening.

Treatment and prevention of complications may be possible when cardiovascular disease is identified at an early age.

Knowing your risks is the first step to avoiding a heart attack or stroke.

There’s no one cause for heart disease, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing it. The more risk factors you have, the bigger your risk is of a heart attack or stroke.

You might not be aware that you have some of these risk factors.

See if any of the following apply to you:

• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Family History of Heart Disease
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Smoker
• Ex-Smoker
• Poor Circulation
• Stressed
• Unfit, Inactive, Poor Diet
• Overweight

BlOOD PRESSURE :

Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it around your body. It’s a vital part of how your heart and circulation works.

Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down all the time, adjusting to your heart’s needs depending on what you are doing. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is persistently higher than normal.

A blood pressure reading under 120/80mmHg is considered optimal. Readings over 120/80mmHg and up to 139/89mmHg are in the normal to high normal range.

Blood pressure that’s high over a long time is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. As you get older, the chances of having persistently high blood pressure increases.

It’s very important to get your blood pressure checked regularly, and if it’s persistently high it needs to be controlled. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It may also affect your kidneys.

The medical name for high blood pressure over a long period of time is hypertension.

You can’t feel high blood pressure. There are usually no warning signs, so you can have it and not know. That’s why it’s important to get it checked.

Blood pressure can vary at different times of the day. Sometimes it can even go up just because someone is taking it, so it’s important to have an accurate measure of your blood pressure.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG):

A Resting ECG (Electrocardiogram) tells the Doctor how well the electrical system of the heart is working. It can pick up irregular rhythms, early signs of a heart attack, blood pressure problems and some inherited heart conditions. The patient is connected to a recording device by a series of fine cables which are attached to the chest wall using sticky electrodes. A cardiac technician performs the test, which takes approximately five minutes.

ECHOCARDIOGRAM :

An Echocardiogram is an ultra-sound scan that allows you to see the heart. It works in a similar way to a scan of a baby in the womb. The test is used to take pictures of your heart. This allows us to see whether the heart is pumping properly, a valve is faulty or highlight evidence of previous heart damage. The procedure is very simple – the patient lies on their back or their side and the technician places a special jelly on to a probe which is the instrument which delivers and records the sound waves used to picture your heart. The probe is then placed on the patient’s chest and moved around until a good quality image of the heart is recorded. The procedure lasts no more than 20 minutes.

EXERCISE STRESS TESTING: :

An exercise stress test is designed to test the performance of your heart by imposing a workload on the heart. This is done by asking you to walk on a treadmill. At all times your ECG and your blood pressure will be monitored. It is important that you stay on the treadmill as long as possible, as the longer you stay on the more information is obtained from the test. If you experience any chest pain or shortness of breath while on the treadmill inform the technician immediately. As you exercise the heart requires more oxygen so it has to pump harder and faster. The test will show if the blood supply to the coronary arteries is reduced while exercising and provides information on the level of exercise appropriate for you. It is necessary for you to wear loose comfortable clothing and comfortable walking shoes for this test.