Heart health pop-up: Free check and advice

Health and Care Jersey’s Cardiology Team is hosting pop-up events as part of Heart Failure Awareness week.

During the week which runs from 27 April to 3 May, the team will be raising awareness and offering information about cardiac conditions, particularly heart failure, with Islanders.

Heart Failure affects more than 2,000 people in Jersey. It is often preventable but often goes unnoticed until it’s too late.

Heart failure doesn’t mean someone’s heart will stop, it means it’s not functioning as it should. Early detection can make all the difference and it’s crucial for helping people to live longer, with a better quality of life and requiring less medication.

Last year, the cardiology team saw 179 Islanders at a series of pop‑up events, helping to support early identification of symptoms and preventative care.

The team will offer free information and blood pressure and heart rate checks at the:

• General Hospital Outpatients Department on Wednesday 29 April between 10am and 2pm.
• Jersey Central Market, on Friday 1 May between 10pm and 2pm.

Key signs and symptoms of heart failure include:

• Fighting for breath
• Feeling fatigued
• Fluid retention (swollen legs).

Risk factors include:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Excess alcohol consumption
• Poorly controlled blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.

Islanders can reduce their risk by:

• Getting active
• Eating healthily
• Stopping smoking
• Moderating alcohol consumption
• Knowing their numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc)