A cardiologist has explained a 'six-month' question she asks as a general rule when assessing patients. Dr Nabila Laskar is a consultant cardiologist and specialist doctor in cardiac imaging at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. With over 13,000 followers on her Instagram account @Thecardiologydoctors, Dr Laskar regularly shares educational videos.
The worrying sentence
In a recent video, the doctor revealed the one sentence that worries her the most when she hears it in the clinic. Dr Laskar explained that it can be worrying when people share that they have noticed symptoms that they've just put down to their age. However, she says there are several symptoms that people might write off as age-related that could actually indicate heart disease.
Three warning signs
Dr Laskar urged people with similar concerns to make seeing their doctor a priority. Listing three warning signs, she said: "Many people attribute breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance or chest discomfort to ageing, but sometimes this is a sign of heart disease."
"I always ask my patients to compare their activity levels to six months ago. If things have changed drastically, it is rarely due to ageing and seeking advice from a healthcare professional should be prioritised…not postponed." Anyone with other symptoms or health concerns should also seek medical advice.
Coronary heart disease in the UK
According to the NHS, coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in the UK. The main symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint, nausea, and pain in the neck, shoulders, jaw, or arms. However, people may have different symptoms, and some may not notice any before being diagnosed.
The health service said: "Coronary heart disease cannot be cured but treatment can help manage the symptoms and reduce the chances of problems such as heart attacks. Treatment can include: lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and stopping smoking, medicines, angioplasty – where balloons and stents are used to treat narrow heart arteries, and surgery."
Reducing risk
People can reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease by being physically active, controlling blood cholesterol and sugar levels, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Other benefits associated with good heart health include a reduced risk of dementia and stroke.
Importance of blood pressure
In a previous video shared on her Instagram, Dr Laskar spoke about the importance of good blood pressure. She said: "Today we're going to talk about a silent killer. Now there are many silent killers. To be honest, stress is probably one of the most important silent killers, but I'm going to be focusing on uncontrolled blood pressure because many of my patients say, 'If I can't feel it, why should I treat it?' And that is a good question."
She continued: "I scanned someone a couple of weeks ago who was just in their early forties who had just been diagnosed with high blood pressure. And when I scanned them, the wall thickness of their left ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber of their heart, was significantly thickened. And that means this person has had high blood pressure for a very long time that hasn't been treated. Now, if we left this patient without any treatment, they would eventually end up in heart failure. So high blood pressure, although you can't feel it, is actually very important."
