Dubliner warns of heart attack risk

A SOUTHSIDE
heart attack survivor has urged men to take better care of their health to
safeguard against preventable problems.

Thomas Murphy
(47), from Palmerstown, told how he experienced a severe heart attack last
year.

“At first I
thought I was suffering with indigestion,

? he recalled.

“I had a glass of milk
and went to bed, but I kept waking up during the night. The next day I went out
in the car with my wife and all of a sudden I felt dazed and dizzy.

?

He added:

“I was
driving an automatic car at the time and thankfully my wife was able to steer
it to the side of the motorway.

All I remember
is waking up on the road before being brought to hospital.

?

Thomas said
people often ignore telltale signs that could lead to a heart attack.

“The symptoms
can range from pains in the stomach to a twitching jaw,

? he explained.

“People
shouldn’t ignore these little signs because they can save lives. I honestly
believe more awareness needs to be put out there so people can be made fully
aware of how to protect themselves from heart attacks.

?

Thomas said a
heart attack could strike anyone, regardless of how fit a person may seem.

“I was fairly
fit at the time and ate a healthy diet, but a heart attack can strike at any
time,

? he added.

The Irish Heart
Foundation this month launched a national campaign urging men to become more
aware of heart attack prevention.

The campaign’s
aim is to reduce the number of deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease,
which is the number one cause of death among Irish men.

They also
published

‘A man’s guide to heart health’ that compares the human heart to a
man’s favourite car.

It attempts to
convey the message that a man’s heart is the most important engine they’ll ever
own.

Maureen
Mulvihill, the health promotion manager
at the Irish Heart Foundation, explained:

“Like any motor, the heart needs to
be fuelled properly and serviced regularly. You wouldn’t put diesel into a
petrol engine, because it would break down, or leave your car not driven for
years without expecting it to seize up.

“The same
applies to the heart. For example, with 44 per cent of men aged 51-64
overweight and 42 per cent in this age group obese, this is clearly one part of
their motor they are not taking care of.

?

Ms Mulvihill
said men who are overweight would experience high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and run the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

“We need to
ensure that men are equipped with the best possible tools to prevent them
reaching a point when a heart attack symptom may strike.

“The Irish Heart
Foundation’s step by step manual takes into account modern lifestyles and tackles,
in a positive way, the various behaviours and risk factors that lead to heart
attack,

? she added.