Heart specialist’s stark health warning
‘DON’T wait ‘til it’s too late" – that’s the stark message from a leading Highland cardiac specialist to people who think they may be having a heart attack.
Professor Stephen Leslie implored sufferers to act when something irregular happens and get medical help or at least advice.
He was addressing Caithness Heart Support Group about his role as a cardiac consultant at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
Prof Leslie urged potential heart patients not to adopt an all-too-common response to symptoms such as breathing difficulties and chest pain – delaying getting help.
He added: "Their reaction is, ‘I don’t want to bother the doctor’ or ‘I’ll wait until the surgery is open’.
"If you think you are having a heart attack, or if someone is having one, use the medical services – dial 999 immediately, to get a diagnosis over the phone. Don’t leave it until it is too late."
Prof Leslie highlighted the impact technology has played in medicine, particularly in identifying heart problems and treating them.
A hundred years ago surgeons would advocate complete rest for a post-heart operation patient for several months whereas now a patient will have an operation, be discharged and return for a check-up in a matter of days.
There is currently a considerable amount of hi-tech innovation, including the latest in heart valves and even artificial hearts, but the professor said one of the things which "drove him bonkers" is the slow speed at which such cutting-edge technology "drifted north" from England and Wales.
He paid tribute to organisations such as Caithness Heart Support Group for the important contribution they make in funding medical equipment and also acknowledged the "fantastically-talented nurses" on his team at Raigmore.
The professor took the opportunity to rebuff the misconception the Highlands is a healthy place to live. There are currently 10,000 people with coronary heart disease in an area with a relatively small population and he commented: "It is a big problem we have to sort out."
The number of hospital beds has dropped by 50 per cent in 20 years but, against that, patients’ length of stay in hospital has also decreased.
He said: "One of the biggest challenges of the future will be the number of people reaching the age of 75, which is going to double in the next 20 years, and who are going to be at risk of having coronary heart disease.
