Heart Failure Awareness Roadshow coming to Cavan next week
A national campaign to drive public awareness of heart failure and promote early detection is coming to Cavan next week.
Johnstown Library will host a pop-up ‘Heart Failure Awareness Roadshow’ on Tuesday, May 5 from 10am until 2pm, and everyone is welcome to go along.
Heart failure is a serious health condition which affects one in five adults and is the leading cause of hospitalisation in over-65s.
The event will demonstrate how patients can be supported to get their lives back on track post-diagnosis.
Meanwhile, those visiting visiting next week's event will be offered free blood pressure and heart health checks in the Irish Heart Foundation mobile health unit, where specialist heart failure nurses will be on hand to offer advice on recognising the signs and symptoms, information on living with heart failure and signposting the public to local support services.
European Heart Failure Awareness Week began on April 27, and runs until May 3, and focuses on the theme ‘Awareness today, Protection tomorrow’.
Knowledge and symptom recognition of heart failure remains low among the general public.
“Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped, it means it is not pumping blood as effectively as it should,” said Dr Angie Brown, Medical Director at the Irish Heart Foundation.
“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.
“By meeting people on streets, in shopping centres and local hubs, we can make heart health information more accessible and impactful.”
Heart failure affects an estimated 137,000 people in Ireland and 10,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, but experts say it remains overlooked and often misunderstood.
The campaign aims to change that by educating the public on crucial warning signs including breathlessness, fatigue, swollen ankles or legs and rapid weight gain —while encouraging people to better protect their heart health.