Cardiologists are warning that more than two hundred & fifty thousand people in Wales aged over 60 could be living with undiagnosed heart valve disease.
Known as the ‘silent killer’, it occurs when one or more valves in the heart stops working well. In an awareness raising exercise, specialists from the UWH in Cardiff will be in the Bay area of the city on Wednesday (May 7) to offer free heart checks.
Cath Owen is lead Clinical Nurse Specialist for Structural Heart at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff. She explained HVD is and how people would know if they had it.
“It affects the valves in the heart and as these valves begin to become calcified, they can not work as well and that puts pressure on the rest of the heart.
“A lot of the time it’s in the background and building up and people are unaware that they have valve disease until it becomes severe.”
HVD causes symptoms such as breathlessness, weariness and fatigue, but these can often be mild and are often mistaken for normal ageing.
“It’s a quick, simple process and people don’t need to get undressed. It can be done in minutes and with a stethoscope,” added Cath.
Tomorrow (Wednesday May 7) free heart checks are being offered to the general public from a team of cardiologists and nurses from University Hospital of Wales. They will be in Cardiff Bay in a big blue truck, and anyone, regardless of age or concerns, is invited to attend.
The Your Heart Matters truck will be in Roald Dahl Plass from 10am until 3pm.
