WALES’ leading heart charity, Welsh Hearts, has recently managed to secure free heart screening for children and adults throughout Wales.
Thanks to a new partnership with Swansea University-based company Cardiac Health Diagnostics, Welsh Hearts have launched their new heart screening service which is open to anyone over the age of five.
It is hoped that this new service will raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions by providing easily accessible screening services to different communities around Wales.
Sharon Owen, Founder and Director of Welsh Hearts, said: “We cannot thank Professor Lewis and his team at Cardiac Health Diagnostics enough for collaborating with us to make this programme sustainable.
“Many people still associate heart disease and heart attacks with older people, but this is sadly not the case as the alarming number of young people dying from heart conditions shows.
“Thanks to this exciting new partnership, we can make a massive difference and we will save lives of young people in Wales.”
Statistics shows that hundreds of young people die unexpectedly each year in the UK due to an undetected heart condition.
This new partnership will enable screening from the age of five years, and upwards of 100 people are able to be scanned during each session at a variety of locations across Wales using non-invasive ECG testing.
Ian Gough, former Wales and Osprey rugby star and patrol of Welsh Hearts Cymru, is also showing his support for the initiative to help raise awareness of the importance of heart screening amongst young people.
Commenting on the new partnership with Welsh Hearts, Professor Michael Lewis, the Professor of Cardiovascular Diagnostic Technology at Swansea University and Director at Cardiac Health Diagnostics Technology, said: “We are delighted to have established this relationship with Welsh Hearts.
“It is extremely rewarding to be helping in the drive to identify heart problems in young children and adults. Cardiac Health Diagnostics was established to help translate our research and clinical expertise into a diagnostic service that could potentially have a marked impact on a young person’s life.
“We believe that our collaboration in providing this screening service will have a significant role in helping to reduce the number of sudden, unexpected heart problems throughout Wales.”
Heart Screening Wales sessions will take place on a monthly basis throughout all areas of Wales. A £10 donation to Welsh Hearts is requested at the time of booking to help them continue to fund the project.
Heart Screening Wales will be taking place at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Cardigan on Saturday August 6. For more information, or to book your place, visit the Welsh Hearts website.
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