A ‘second lease on life’… embrace it

A worrying new survey has found 90% of heart attack survivors “do not fully understand” the risk of their condition, with one in five victims going on to have a second attack.

Heart Support Australia surveyed 300 Australians aged 18 to 75 years of age who had been hospitalised after having a heart attack in the past five years.

HSA’s chief executive and vice president, Brian Dooley, also a heart attack survivor, told DPS eNews the survey shows a lack of awareness amongst patients which is “concerning on a number of levels”.

In 2009 there were 90,000 cases of acute coronary syndromes (heart attack and unstable angina) which were responsible for nearly 10,000 deaths.

Mr Dooley says regardless of the seriousness of their health, one quarter of respondents failed to maintain a healthy lifestyle after three months, despite 42% revealing they felt they had been given “a second lease on life”.

“It is common for young people to feel bullet-proof after surviving a heart attack,” Mr Dooley claims.

“They have made it through a traumatic event like a heart attack and even more of a traumatic experience, such as bypass surgery and then they think they can get over anything. Whereas with older people, they don’t like the concept of exercise; things like bikes and treadmills,” he says.

According to Mr Dooley, heart attacks are common in elderly people, with hereditary factors listed as contributing to the risk of heart attacks, as well as smoking, heavy drinking and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

“In particular, elderly women are the bulk of our Heart Support Australia candidates; there are about half as many men,” he says.

One in two of the survey’s participants had high blood pressure, 48% had high cholesterol, 38% were smokers and 34% were overweight or obese.

However, Mr Dooley says he has seen many elderly heart attack survivors at hospital gymnasiums who are determined to “get their bodies back”.

“I am aware of a 78-year-old heart attack survivor who was reluctant to exercise and get on the bike; but then after six weeks she was riding on the bike laughing,” he says.

Another concern of Mr Dooley’s, who confirms most heart attack victims are required to take up to four medications after an attack, is many older people “forget or stop taking” their medication, or they change their medication doses.

He says the first year after a heart attack is the most “critical” time for the body to accommodate changes to the arterial system”.

“There is an actual shock to the system and groups across all ages suffer a fair bit of depression afterwards,” Mr Dooley says.

The survey also indicates that following a heart attack, the lifestyle of a survivor was also likely to undergo major changes. About 31% of respondents played less sport and 19% were less active with their grandchildren.

“Some people worry they will bring on another heart attack with strenuous exercise… but they can go back to doing everything they used to do,” Mr Dooley reassures.

Have you or someone you know suffered a heart attack? Share your suggestions to living a healthy life after an attack.