Cardiac rehab - giving heart patients their lives back

So, thanks to NICE publishing an updated guide on the management of chronic heart failure, we now know even more about the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation.

But so what? Why is cardiac rehabilitation so important to the thousands of heart patients out there?

Well the simple answer is it saves lives.

At the moment only 38 per cent of heart patients enjoy the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation - that figure should, and could, be much higher.

The term rehabilitation can actually be a bit misleading. Basically, it is a tailored program of information, education, exercise, lifestyle advice and help with medication.

Crucially it’s also advice and help with the worry, and sometimes depression, associated with this serious disease. In short, it puts you back in control of your life.

It could cost the earth but is doesn’t. Cardiac rehab can cost as little as £600 per patient. Not a lot when it comes to changing - or even saving - someone’s life.

After all, we already know the number of people who die from heart problems after their cardiac treatment is reduced by a quarter following rehabilitation.

It’s an incredible service and yet it is still available to so few.

The prize is improving people’s lives and using NHS resources better by reducing the burden on expensive hospital admissions.

This is a problem that we can fix. For the sake of heart patients and their families, the NHS needs to drive up the numbers benefitting from cardiac rehabilitation.

You can find out where your nearest cardiac rehabilitation programme is by visiting www.cardiac-rehabilitation.net or calling the BHF Heart HelpLine on 0300 330 3311.

By Dr Mike Knapton

Cold Heart

It’s a routine familiar to many of us. We wake up in the morning, peer round the curtains and check what the weather is doing.

If it’s cold we reach for our hat and scarf, and if it’s warm, shorts and sunglasses are order of the day.

But if you’ve got heart disease the weather can play a much more important role. In fact, a new study, funded largely by the BHF, has found colder than average temperatures may increase someone’s risk of heart attack.

Cold weather

Extreme cold weather can affect the heart by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. And chilly temperatures could also affect blood cells which could increase the risk of developing blood clots. A blood clot is often involved in the blocking of a coronary artery leading to heart attack.

So, if the weather forecast predicts plummeting temperatures then heart patients must remember to wrap up warm and wear several layers of clothing – including a hat, gloves and nice thick socks.

And it’s also very important to avoid sudden exertion. If you’re a heart patient and you need to shovel snow off your driveway or push the car, leave it to someone else. Even better, stay indoors and keep the heating on.

And remember to keep an eye on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours during those cold snaps.

Hot weather

At the opposite end of the spectrum, hot weather can also play its part in the lives of heart patients.

The advice is simple; don’t stay in the heat for long periods and make sure you drink plenty of fluids.

But why is drinking water so important? Hot weather can cause excessive sweating which increases the loss of fluid from your body and, in turn, reduces your total blood volume.

It means the workload on your heart and the demand for oxygen is increased, which can lead to angina if you have coronary heart disease.

It’s a running joke that we all love to talk about the weather, but it can play an important part in the life of anyone suffering from heart disease – the UK’s biggest killer.

By Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse

BHF celebrates the art of science

The judging for our 3rd annual science image competition Reflections of Research takes place tonight.

Reflections of Research is a collection of artistic and unusual research images taken from studies into heart and blood vessels. The event forms part of the fundraising activities for our Help a Heart campaign.

The winner will be announced on the BHF website tomorrow. In the meantime, take a look at the entries on our recent Reflections of Research news release.

Let us know your favourite by posting a comment here.