Author: Jennifer

A cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that prevents it pumping blood properly around the body. In dilated cardiomyopathy, the heart is enlarged and can’t pump blood efficiently. There are a number of possible causes of this condition, though a clear cause is not always found.

Dilated cardiomyopathy can cause symptoms of heart failure:

• Shortness of breath when exercising/lying flat
• Swollen ankles
• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations

There are a number of medications that can help in this condition. With careful treatment, many patients experience an improvement in symptoms, often with an improvement in their heart pump function over time.

For more information on cardiomyopathy visit: Heart failure and Cardiomyopathy | Connected Cardiology

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Gardening has many health benefits.

All that digging, raking and mowing gets the heart pumping and can burn as many calories as a session at the gym.

A number of studies have suggested that gardening and DIY can improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Being generally active day to day can help to manage weight, reduce blood pressure and prevent diabetes.

There can be other benefits as well – the garden is a great place to reduce stress and practice mindfulness. It engages the senses and helps to reconnect the body and mind, providing a distraction from worrying about the future and bringing focus on the present moment. So feel the soil in the hands, see the beauty and growth, hear the birds singing and literally smell the roses.

Having a heart condition doesn’t mean time can’t be spent in the garden. To read how Paul Peacock adapted to living with severe heart failure and kept up his passion for gardening, visit:  Gardening with heart failure and diabetes |Heart Matters

If gardening is already a hobby, then keep going! If just getting started, consider joining a local community gardening club.

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Medicare now funds GPs to provide heart health checks. It’s a great opportunity to gain personalised advice on how to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. 

During the 20-minute check-up, GPs usually: 

• Ask the patient about their medical history and lifestyle, including alcohol intake and smoking status
• ️Check cholesterol and blood glucose (unless that’s already been done in the last year)
• Measure blood pressure and weight.

Then the patient and GP can discuss ways to reduce cardiovascular risk such as:

• ️Losing weight, being more active, reducing alcohol and stopping smoking
• ️Starting medications to lower blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose
• ️Having further tests or seeing other healthcare providers 

The Heart Foundation recommends a heart health check for anyone over 45 years of age, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people over 30 years. Could be time to call the GP! 

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Some people look younger than their age, some look older. But what’s happening on the inside? How old is their heart? 

A heart age calculator asks a series of questions about smoking, family history, diabetes and weight. Then it asks about blood pressure and cholesterol readings, using average readings for a person’s age if there are no personal results available.

At the end of all that, it’ll show the heart’s approximate age. If a person’s heart is older than they are, it’s a good prompt to improve health and lifestyle with the help of a doctor. 

Like to try it?  Use the Heart Foundation Calculator here: Heart Age Calculator | Heart Foundation.org.au

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Getting breathless very easily? Or unusually tired? 

These aren’t the inevitable result of getting older. They could be symptoms of aortic stenosis.

Aortic stenosis is an age-related condition that makes the heart valves narrow and stiff. That stops the valves opening and closing properly, meaning the heart can’t pump blood around the body effectively. Left untreated, aortic stenosis can lead to heart failure.

Because aortic stenosis may show only vague symptoms (or none at all), it’s easily missed. GPs can identify possible aortic stenosis by listening to the heart with a stethoscope but an echocardiogram is needed to be sure.

The right treatment depends on how narrow or stiff the valve has become, as well as age and general health. Regular examinations and echocardiograms may be needed to monitor the condition and provide supportive treatment. Or the valve may need to be opened, either through open heart surgery or a newer type of “keyhole” surgery called TAVI.

A cardiologist will advise you on the most suitable treatment.

Learn more about heart valve disease here:  Valvular heart disease | Connected Cardiology

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Risky behaviour tends to make us think of activities like skydiving, speeding or substance abuse. For most of us though, our riskiest behaviour is our sedentary lifestyle. 

A sedentary lifestyle involves little physical activity – think driving to work, sitting at a desk, driving home and sitting on the sofa. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of many health conditions including heart disease. 

The trick to breaking out of a sedentary lifestyle is to build incidental activity into each day. Try:

• Taking the stairs not the lift
• Getting off the tram a few stops earlier and walking the rest of the way
• Using a standing desk
• Standing up for phone calls
• Meeting friends for a walk rather than at a cafe
• Using a fitness tracker or pedometer to measure daily steps
• Walking instead of driving for short journeys. 

What will you implement?

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Ectopic heartbeats occur when the heart adds an extra beat.  

They’re actually very common. Some people don’t experience any symptoms while others may feel like their heart lurched, missed a beat or thumped with extra force. They can cause some irregularity when feeling the pulse.

Ectopic heart beats are not usually concerning unless they are happening often or causing at lot of symptoms. However, it is important that they’re properly investigated to look for any specific causes. It’s also important to have an irregular pulse assessed to rule out other causes of irregular heartbeats such as atrial fibrillation.

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.

Beans and legumes do wonders for your health because they:

• are high in fibre and minerals
• are a good source of protein without the saturated fat found in animal sources
• may help improve cholesterol
• give a feeling of sustained fullness. 

Any supermarket should stock beans and legumes among the canned and dried foods. Look for lentils, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, mung beans, lima beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans or cannellini beans.

Not sure how to use them? Beans on toast are an easy option. Other ideas include adding beans and legumes to salads, sandwich fillings, pasta dishes and soups.

This article is for reference purposes only – it is not designed to be, nor should it be regarded, as professional medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for health advice specific to your condition.