Hearts and Minds

Saving a life sounds such a dramatic concept and performing CPR and using an AED (defibrillator) when someone has a cardiac arrest is certainly dramatic.

However there are other ways in which we can save lives in preventing disease in the first place – the risk factors for heart disease and dementia are the same and recently it has been established that 40 per cent of dementia cases (nearly a million in the UK) are attributable to lifestyle. Giving up smoking, increasing physical activity, controlling blood pressure and eating a healthy diet are the main factors; getting to know the signs and symptoms of a disease is important so that medical advice can be sought and diagnosis and treatment initiated and knowing what to do in the event of cardiac arrest – when you see no response and no breathing – could be the single most important thing you ever do.

Sadly, in the case of dementia, there are no known treatments and that is why we need to support Alzheimer’s Research UK so that ground-breaking research can achieve the same progress that has been seen in heart and cancer treatments.

What is coronary heart disease (CHD)?

CHD occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced and can lead to angina, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

What is dementia?

A collection of symptoms, including a decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills, and a gradual loss of skills needed to carry out daily activities. It is a physical process NOT a mental illness nor an inevitable part of ageing.