It’s not just about older people...I have had five heart attacks and I’m only 50
FOOD writer, campaigner and TV presenter Sally Bee knows better than most just how important it is to look after your heart health.
The mother-of-three is 50 years old and already suffered five heart attacks.
Sally suffers from a rare condition known as spontaneous coronary artery dissection, where a tear suddenly occurs within the layers of one or more of the coronary arteries which can slow down or block the blood flow to the heart.
The causes are unclear but it mainly affects young, healthy people who have few or none of the typical risks for heart disease, like diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol or obesity.
Sally suffered her first heart attack at the age of 36.
She said: “Every morning my first thought is, ‘Thank goodness I have woken up’.
“Although I couldn’t have predicted these events it is important for me to live a heart-healthy lifestyle as an insurance policy and mitigate against any future damage.
“I am certainly no angel and I adopt an 80/20 outlook on life: 80 per cent of time I think, ‘Is this heart healthy? Is this good for me?’ And the other 20 per cent of the time I allow myself treats to feed the soul.”
At the time of her first heart attack Sally thought it was indigestion. She went on to have two more heart attacks within a week.
After her third attack, her husband was told it was touch and go if she would survive the night.
She said: “People still assume heart disease is a disease affecting older people but it starts at a young age. And it can be a life sentence.
“I would encourage everyone to take the heart age test because empowerment can be life-saving.”