Thousands dying ‘needlessly’ from irregular heartbeats

Tens of thousands of Scots could be unaware they have an irregular heartbeat, leaving them at greater risk of suffering a stroke, according to one of the country’s leading heart disease charities.

Research indicates that one in six people will develop an irregular heartbeat over the course of their lifetime, with nearly 92,000 Scots diagnosed withthecondition,alsoknown as atrial fibrillation (AF).

However, the British Heart Foundation warned there many more people who do not know they have AF, meaning their chances of having a stroke are up to five times greater.

The foundation said that across the UK, around 1.2 million people have been diagnosed, but suggested up to 500,000 others – including around 32,000 Scots – could have the condition.

It also warned that research shows the majority of people with the condition (54 per cent) are not taking medication to reduce their risk of a potentially fatal stroke.

It is estimated that 12,000 deaths from AF related strokes could be prevented every year if patients were managed effectively with medication.

The BHF said that although research is helping to understand the links between AF and strokes, as well as finding new ways to reduce the burden of AF related strokes, there is still much more work that could be done.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, said: “Thousands of people with atrial fibrillation are needlessly dying of stroke every year because they are not being identified, and adequately managed.

“There are still hundreds of thousands of people undiagnosed with AF, putting them at significant increased risk of suffering a stroke.”

There are several causes of AF, including high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, and diabetes, but the foundation said it can be easily detected with pulse checks.

The most common presenting symptoms of AF are palpitations, breathlessness and dizziness, although as many as 25 per cent to 30 per cent of sufferers do not have symptoms.

Dr Knapton added: “Research helps us understand the links between AF and stroke, but there is still much more to do.

“We need to detect people withanirregularheartbeat and then ensure they are getting the right care and treatment to reduce their risk of having a stroke.”