Scots severely underestimate the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases, according to a new survey by the British Heart Foundation.
While it’s estimated around half of people in this country will get a heart or circulatory condition during our lifetime, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of those surveyed in Scotland thought the likelihood of them developing a heart condition was just 1 in 10, while over a fifth (22 per cent) thought the chance was just 1 in 50.
Only three per cent of respondents knew the correct answer – which is 1 in 2.
When people were asked if they thought they would be directly affected, Gen Z (33 per cent) are most likely to think they will ever be affected by heart and circulatory diseases, whereas baby boomers are the least likely (22 per cent).
Despite heart and circulatory conditions affecting men and women almost equally, only 27 per cent of women thought they could be at risk compared to 33 per cent of men.
These perceptions stand in stark contrast to the fact that there are currently 700,000 people living with a heart or circulatory disease in Scotland.
Worryingly, the survey also found confusion among members of the public about the seriousness of a heart attack and cardiac arrest. While both are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate medical treatment, only 79 per cent of Scots would call 999 for an ambulance if they thought a person was having a heart attack, while only 60 per cent of people considered a cardiac arrest a medical emergency.
The BHF released the figures to coincide with the launch of a new campaign that aims to shine a spotlight on hidden heart conditions. The charity says that these conditions can often go undiagnosed for too long and that they often aren’t discovered until something goes wrong, or it becomes too late.
For mum-of-two, Hannah Kirkpatrick, from Dalbeattie, the impact heart conditions can have on the family, is something she knows all too well.
Her son Evan, now 10, was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited heart condition which causes the heart muscle to thicken, when he was just 11 months old. But it wasn’t until August last year that he underwent surgery – a septal myectomy – which has helped improve his life.
Hannah said: “He was only diagnosed with his heart condition by accident. When he was born, he had a bit of a flat head and, while it seemed to be getting better after a couple of months, his health visitor referred him to have a check over by his paediatrician.
“At the appointment they spent a long time listening to his heart and I could just tell something was wrong. Why else would they be listening for so long? He was referred to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for a scan where they detected a heart murmur. It was a huge shock.”
Doctors said they would closely monitor Evan’s condition and saw him every six-months for regular check-ups.
However, in March 2022 Evan started to become more breathless. His lips would also get a blue tinge after walking. Hannah, who is also mum to Caitlin, 22, and her husband, Christopher, took Evan back to his cardiologist and he was put on the waiting list for a septal myectomy – surgery which would remove some of the thickened muscle in his heart.
The self-employed domestic cleaner, 40, said: “His surgery was on August 13, 2022, in Glasgow. It was meant to take around four to five hours. It was the worst day of my life, waiting and not knowing if he was going to be OK.”
Thankfully Evan made a speedy recovery and within a few days the then nine year was back home. “He took everything in his stride and bounced back,” said Hannah. “It was a huge relief and we can look ahead to the future.”
An estimated 27,000 people in Scotland have an inherited heart condition. The charity say heart and circulatory conditions can affect almost anyone at any stage of life regardless of lifestyle choices and family history which contradicts common misconception we may have in our heads of them only affecting those who may be older with unhealthy lifestyles.
David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is deeply concerning to see that so many people are unaware of the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases.
“Decades of lifesaving medical advances have perhaps lulled people into believing that we’ve beaten heart and circulatory diseases when nothing could be further from the truth.
“These potentially deadly or life-limiting conditions continue to rob families of loved ones or blight the lives of people facing a future with an incurable disease.
“With this campaign we want to shine a spotlight on heart and circulatory diseases and help people understand that everyone can be affected.
“By funding groundbreaking research, we can get a step closer to breakthroughs that that can save outsmart heart disease for good.”
This September, the BHF is shining a spotlight on hidden heart conditions and urging the whole of the UK to get involved by supporting the charity however they can. Stories, stuff, time, or money: whatever you can give, please give.
Visit: https://spotlighton.bhf.org.uk/
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