TRANSCRIPT
Shortness of breath.
Heart palpitations.
Dizziness and fatigue.
These are just some of the symptoms of a deadly illness called heart valve disease that has infected hundreds of thousands of Australians, yet not many people seem to be aware of.
Dr Heath Adams, interventional cardiologist at the Royal Hobart Hospital, points out the seriousness of this disease.
"Heart valve disease is exceptionally common. And it occurs mainly to patients as they advance in age. And basically what heart valve disease involves is either a leaky valve or a narrow valve which puts strain on the heart muscle, such that it can't pump blood around the body properly. And we find that up to half a million Australians are affected by heart valve disease and if it's left untreated, it can lead to heart failure, hospitalisations, stroke and sometimes, it can be a cause of death."
According to a new report from the hearts4heart charity, more than a quarter of a million Australians have already been infected by the disease, with that number expected to rise.
The report states that by 2051, the number of people living with heart valve disease will reach 435,000.
Dr Adams explains the reason behind this projected increase.
"So in Australia we're going to experience an exponential increase in heart valve disease and that's because the baby boomer generation are now reaching 80 years-plus. Now this heart valve disease can affect certain groups. Obviously the elderly. It can also affect patients who've got a past history of rheumatic fever, whether that be patients who are originally from Australia or migrants who've experienced rheumatic fever in their country of origin that can lead to a different type of disease which is also very treatable."
Yet that isn't the most staggering finding of the report from hearts4heart.
Tanya Hall, founder and Chief Executive of the charity organisation, says there are even more troubling results to come out.
"So the new research findings tell us that over a quarter of Australians, which is approximately 5.6 million people, have never heard of heart valve disease and its impacts and challenges. Only a third of all Australians are aware of heart valve disease and this includes those who are living with the disease. it also tells us that nearly a quarter of those over the age of 65 who are at high risk are also unaware of heart disease."
Ms Hall attempts to explain the reason behind the lack of awareness of the disease.
"People often think of heart disease as someone who's had a heart attack, but there are many types of heart diseases that exist. And few of us are aware of the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system. Heart valve disease can also be associated with silent symptoms, which means that some people living with heart valve disease do not show symptoms or have no symptoms until their disease is severe. All of which contribute to a lack of awareness for the disease which can make diagnosis difficult."
However, federal M-P Maria Vamvakinou, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Friends of Heart and Stroke group, offers a different opinion.
She says this lack of awareness on heart valve disease brings to light a lack of appropriate messaging towards Australia's multicultural communities.
"A large number of Australians who are from migrant communities, because of a lack of English language skills or a lack of programs being targeted specifically in those communities, in-language, may not be able to avail themselves of any material or any research around diseases and heart valve is one of those. So, there's a language issue also."
The lack of symptoms or their relatively mild nature can lead many people to dismiss this disease as something insignificant.
A mistake which could prove costly later on.
Philip Hurran is one of the many people in Australia living with heart valve disease.
He says he had no idea he had been affected by the illness until he was diagnosed during an entirely different incident.
"I had a motorbike accident. And it wasn't by any means what you could term a serious accident. But I cracked a couple of ribs. And this lead me going to hospital to be assessed. And whilst in hospital, they started to talk about my heart valve condition, which was, I had absolutely no knowledge of. So, to me it was pretty much of a shock, especially when it was described at a critical stage."
With hundreds of thousands of people living with a potentially deadly disease, and that number projected to increase, experts agree more needs to be done to increase awareness so that people can get tested.
Ms Vamvakinou says that prevention is all about good communication between a patient and their general practitioner.
"Part of the efforts that are put into raising awareness isn't only to make sure people don't die as a result of conditions that could've been treated, but it's also important just so that people can be aware that certain symptoms don't get dismissed as not being relevant, therefore engaging with GPs, talking a lot more about symptoms, and for GPs also to run those basic tests that one would do, in this instance, the stethoscope, with patients who are complaining of symptoms that can identify with heart valve disease."
Mr Hurran recommends people get tested before it's too late.
"My advice is, and I don't know what the magic age is, probably I'd say 60 or something in that order, just encourage and issue your GP to do a thorough test, which they can do, and if necessary, advise you on."
