Heart Failure Awareness Roadshow coming to Cavan next month
Free health checks on offer at event taking place in Johnstown Library on May 5.
A national campaign to raise awareness of heart failure and promote early detection will come to Cavan next month, with a public roadshow event taking place in Johnstown Library on 5 May from 10am to 2pm.
The pop-up “Heart Failure Awareness Roadshow” is part of a wider two-week national campaign involving the Irish Heart Foundation, Croí, and the Irish Association of Heart Failure Nurses. The initiative is aimed at improving public understanding of heart failure and encouraging earlier diagnosis through greater awareness of symptoms.
At the Cavan event, members of the public will be able to avail of free blood pressure and heart health checks in a mobile health unit. Specialist heart failure nurses will also be available to provide advice on recognising symptoms, living with the condition, and accessing local supports.
Heart failure is a serious condition affecting an estimated 137,000 people in Ireland and is the leading cause of hospitalisation among those over 65. Around 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, yet awareness of the condition and its symptoms remains low.
European Heart Failure Awareness Week runs from 27 April to 3 May under the theme “Awareness today, Protection tomorrow”, with roadshow events taking place in nine locations nationwide from 27 April to 8 May.
Dr Angie Brown, Medical Director at the Irish Heart Foundation, said heart failure is often misunderstood.
“Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped, it means it is not pumping blood as effectively as it should,” she said. “Neither does it mean the end of life: with early diagnosis, treatment, and support, people can live well.
“Awareness of heart failure symptoms and how the condition can be managed is low. This is why raising awareness at a community level is critical.”
Dr Lisa Hynes of Croí said the campaign aims to help people recognise symptoms earlier and seek support sooner, while Emer Burke of the Irish Association of Heart Failure Nurses highlighted the importance of specialist nursing care in improving outcomes.
The campaign will focus on warning signs such as breathlessness, fatigue, swollen ankles or legs, and rapid weight gain.