Arrhythmia awareness week: 8th-14th June 2009

Arrhythmias are a major UK health issue. Recognising this, an alliance of patients, carers, patient groups, community groups, healthcare professionals, government and allied professionals have come together in June to educate members of the public about “Knowing your pulse”.

In the UK, there are currently more than two million people with (diagnosed and undiagnosed) arrhythmias, including 1.2 million people with atrial fibrillation (AF). Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the UK’s biggest killer, killing more people than lung cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Arrhythmia Alliance (A-A) and its sister charity the Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) www.atrialfibrillation.org.uk are aiming to raise public and medical awareness of the pulse as a tool to identify potential heart arrhythmias, encouraging routine pulse checks similar to routine blood pressure checks. During Awareness Week, the charities will work in collaboration with medical and healthcare professionals to facilitate “pulse check” clinics, where members of the public can attend for their free pulse checks. Those attending will be given a Pulse Check Card (www.knowyourpulse.org), a self-contained educational tool teaching people what their pulse means, and why and when they should take their pulse, and including a table for people to keep a record of their pulse over a seven-day period. Those with pulse irregularities will be recommended to seek advice from their general practitioner.

“GPs and nurses are being encouraged to perform pulse checks routinely and to question all patients with risk factors for arrhythmias for symptoms such as dizziness, blackouts and palpitations” suggests, Arrhythmia Alliance CEO, Trudie Lobban, writing in the current issue of the British Journal of Cardiology.

A-A suggests that members of public make themselves involved by distributing information booklets to their local GP surgeries, clinics and hospitals. Patient information booklets, endorsed by the Department of Health and the A-A Executive Committee, are available for distribution.

“It is hoped that medical and public support will increase awareness of cardiac arrhythmias—their detection, management and, ultimately, prevention” Trudie Lobban concludes.

The following facts highlight the importance of the pulse as an indicator of a potential cardiac arrhythmia, most commonly AF:

100,000 people die every year in the UK from a sudden cardiac arrest
120,000 people experience loss of consciousness due to an arrhythmia each year
30% of adults and 39% of children with a potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmia are mis-diagnosed with epilepsy
According to the Department of Health, 12,500 strokes from the annually recorded 110,00 are directly attributable to AF
AF leads to 575,000 hospital admissions every year. In about 16%, AF is the primary cause for admission. Since most of these admissions are unplanned, the costs are considerably higher
One in four stroke patients are in AF when admitted to hospital