The two words, 'heart failure', send a spark of fear through the healthiest of people. What most people hear are the words 'heart attack' and, even in today's world of medical marvels, they spell F-E-A-R. Yet, those are two very different conditions.
Severe crushing chest pain hits you. OMG - a heart attack! Or is it?
Heart failure, or cardiac failure, is a weighty condition in today's society, affecting approximately 480,000 people in Australia and more than 25 million world-wide. The Cinderella of cardiovascular disease; it is much less known than heart attack or stroke, yet heart failure (HF) is a serious condition with a worse outcome than most cancers. And it affects more women than men.
An ageing population and our western lifestyle are ensuring that the prevalence of a common medical condition, atrial fibrillation (AF), is increasing at such a rate that it is predicted to be the next cardiac epidemic.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common medical condition that arises from a problem within the electrical system of the heart. Although it is widespread - 30 million sufferers worlwide - one of its peculiarities is that many sufferers are not aware they have it and it is discovered after a collapse or as an 'incidental finding', for example, when a patient's pulse is being monitored in association with surgery or other medical procedure.
Atrial Fibrillation, commonly known as AF, kills three times as many people as car accidents each year in the western world.
Although the world's focus is on COVID-19, people who suffer a heart condition should continue to treat and manage their circumstances as a priority.
What would a cardiologist tell his grandchildren about living a long and healthy life?
Energy drinks are incredibly common. We see them advertised and we see them everywhere. We see not only sportspeople but young adults and teenagers consuming these beverages regularly. So, questions need to be answered:
Exercise and Heart Health - Please check out Great Health Guide July/August
