Cardiology Clinic

Cardiology Clinic Consultants

Specialist Cardiovascular (Heart) Screening

Did you know?

• Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in the UK - 1 in 4 men and 1 in 6 women

• In the year 2000, 120,000 women died from heart & circulatory disease in the UK - 50,000 more than died from cancer

• Over 270,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack each year

• Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of premature death in the UK

The Cardiff Bay Clinic has recently established a Cardiology clinic providing a comprehensive range of assessment, treatment and advice for patients with heart disease as well as screening programmes that assess the factors that can lead to heart disease. From the early implementation of treatment programmes, these risks can be reduced and ultimately prevent a heart attack. The principle purpose of the Clinic is to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac events.

The Clinic has been established in response to the growing public awareness of the problem of coronary heart disease in Wales.

The Clinic is run by five experienced consultant cardiologists working in nearby NHS hospitals and is fully equipped with on-site ECG recording, echocardiography and treadmill exercise.

What are the risk factors for coronary heart disease?

Smoking – has been clearly identified as a major risk factor for CHD as well as lung cancer. Although the proportion of adult cigarette smokers has been decreasing rapidly, it now seems to have been leveled off. About 25% if men and 26% of women in the UK still smoke.

Physical Activity – lowers the risk of CHD. The activity needs to be regular, of moderate intensity such as brisk walking, dancing or cycling. It is recommended that adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on five or more days a week. Only 37% of men and 25% of women in the UK are active at this level. Activity declines rapidly with age with only 17% of men and 12% of women aged 65-74 meeting recommended levels.

Diet – One reason why CHD rates are high in the UK is because the average diet is unhealthy. In particular fat intake – especially of saturated fat – is too high, and fruit and vegetable consumption is too low.

Alcohol – Moderate alcohol consumption (1 or 2 drinks per day) is associated with a reduced risk of CHD. At high levels of intake – particularly in ‘binges’ – the risk of CHD is increased. The government recommends daily sensible drinking benchmarks of no more than 4 units of alcohol in men and 3 units in women. In addition men should not drink more than 21 units per week and women no more than 14 units per week. Overall 38% of men and 21% of women consume more alcohol than the daily-recommended limits.

Overweight & Obesity – Being overweight is associated with raised blood pressure, raised blood cholesterol, non-insulin dependant diabetes and low levels of physical activity. Overweight individuals therefore have an increased risk of CHD. About 46% of men and 32% of women are overweight (have a body mass index of 25-30kg/m2) in England and a further 17% of men and 21% of women are obese (a body mass index of more than 30kg/m2).

Blood Pressure – Risk of VHD is directly related to both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Blood pressure levels are high in the UK. About 41% of men and 31% of women either have raised blood pressure or are being treated for raised blood pressure. The prevalence of high blood pressure increases with age in both men and women. Around 80% of men and 70% of women with raised blood pressure are not receiving treatment. Of those that are treated, over two thirds remain hypertensive.

Blood Cholesterol – Risk of CHD is directly related to blood cholesterol levels. Blood cholesterol levels can be reduced by drugs, physical activity and by dietary changes, in particular a reduction in the consumption of saturated fats.

Diabetes – substantially increases the risk of CVD and CHD. In middle age, men with diabetes are around five times as likely as women with diabetes around eight times more likely, to die of CVD than with people without diabetes. Around 3% of adult men and women in the UK (around 1.3 million people) have diagnosed diabetes. Prevalence increases with age; those aged 65-74 is around 10 times as likely as those aged 25-34 to have the disease.

For further information

Telephone: Claire Ghuman - Outpatient Sister

0292 083 6762

email: claire.ghuman@vale-healthcare.com