A national campaign to drive public awareness of heart failure and promote early detection, is coming to Waterford this week.
Ardkeen Library will host a pop-up ‘Heart Failure Awareness Roadshow’ on Tuesday, 28 April from 10.00 am – 2.00 pm as part of a blitz by three heart organisations to raise understanding of the serious condition.
It will also demonstrate how patients can be supported to get their lives back on track post-diagnosis.
Heart failure is a serious health condition which affects one in five adults and is the leading cause of hospitalisation in over-65s.
Members of the public visiting the Waterford event will be offered free blood pressure and heart health checks in the Irish Heart Foundation mobile health unit, where specialist heart failure nurses will be on hand to offer advice on recognising the signs and symptoms, information on living with heart failure and signposting the public to local support services.
European Heart Failure Awareness Week begins on April 27, running until May 3, and focuses on the theme ‘Awareness today, Protection tomorrow’.
Knowledge and symptom recognition of heart failure remains low among the general public.
The campaign by the three organisations aims to change that by educating the public on crucial warning signs including breathlessness, fatigue, swollen ankles or legs and rapid weight gain —while encouraging people to better protect their heart health.
For further information on dates, times and locations, see: www.croi.ie and www.irishheart.ie.
