Heart failure awareness week: 500,000 Australians could be walking around with undiagnosed condition

More than half a million Australians are unaware they have a deadly condition that is costing the nation billions and contributed to the shocking deaths of Shane Warne and Labor MP Kimberley Kitching.

Heart health organizations are urging Australians to get checked as soon as possible for signs of heart failure, a condition that kills an estimated 61,000 people each year.

In total, Australians spend more than a million days in hospital each year due to heart failure, with an estimated annual cost to taxpayers of $3.1 billion, according to charity Hearts4Heart.

Heart failure is a potentially fatal condition in which the heart cannot keep up with the body’s demands. The heart muscle cannot pump enough blood to meet our oxygen needs.

If the heart is weak, heart failure can cause fatal cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating. Ninety percent of cardiac arrest patients die.

Mr Ofosu-Amaah, who was playing football when he fell seriously ill, was rescued when Carrum Downs Recreational Reserve had a backup defibrillator on site. His near miss is a warning shot that heart disease can kill young people

Geelong taekwondo coach Phill Zdybel, 57, dropped dead for 28 harrowing minutes playing basketball in November 2022. The quick thought of his son, Josh, saved him. Pictured: Phil and Josh Zdybel

While emergencies caused by heart disease mostly affect people over the age of 65, that complacency has dissipated over the past 18 months.

Several younger high-profile Aussies have died suddenly of heart disease, including Shane Warne and Victorian Labor member Kimberley Kitching, who were both 52 when they died of suspected heart attacks in March 2022.

Within days, champion Essendon player Dean Wallis, also 52 and a two-time premiership winner, was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery after suffering a sudden heart attack in Echuca.

Then former Australian cricketer Ryan Campbell, 50, beat incredible odds to survive cardiac arrest in England in April.

He was kept in an induced coma, died and was resuscitated dozens of times.

On May 20, 2022, ultra-fit AFL coach Jason Januszke, who was just 43, died after going into cardiac arrest during his daily run up to Mount Lofty near Adelaide.

West Coast Eagles great Peter Matera, 53, survived a ‘massive’ heart attack while chopping wood on his farm on May 29, 2022. He was rescued by his wife Susannah Barlow, who rushed him to Bendigo Hospital.

While high-profile heart disease victims are getting the public talking, most of those affected are ordinary Aussies.

Shockingly, a 26-year-old footballer, Jojo Ofosu-Amaah, narrowly escaped death when he suffered cardiac arrest while playing for Keysborough in Melbourne’s southern suburbs on April 22 this year.

Spectators used a defibrillator from the bar, which turned out to be malfunctioning, and then another from the trainers’ rooms to get his heart going.

Defibrillators send an electrical pulse or shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat.

Another incredibly lucky cardiac arrest survivor, Geelong taekwondo trainer Phill Zdybel, 57, dropped dead for 28 harrowing minutes playing basketball in November 2022.

The quick actions of his son Joshua and an off-duty nurse saved Mr. Zdybel’s life.

Mr. Zdybel believes his fitness and attitude were key to his survival.

Victorian Labor MP Kimberley Kitching died suddenly of a suspected heart attack in March 2022

The biggest Australian name to be taken by heart disease lately was Shane Warne

West Coast Eagles great Peter Matera, 53, survived a heart attack on May 29, 2022. His wife Susannah Barlow’s actions saved his life

He has also become an advocate for CPR training and is adamant that more defibrillators should be available to the public.

Heart failure can also lead to severe kidney damage or failure, liver damage, and a scary range of other heart problems, including damaged heart valves and irregular heartbeats.

More than 30,000 Australians are believed to have missed their heart health checks during the pandemic, which could increase the number of preventable deaths from heart disease, according to the Heart Foundation.

Heart failure can be caused by a range of factors, from illnesses sometimes caused by lifestyle choices (such as alcohol and drug addiction, smoking, HIV, diabetes) to previous heart attacks.

While fatal cardiac arrests can occur as a result of heart failure, the reverse is true for heart attacks. Heart attacks can lead to heart failure by weakening the heart’s pumping ability.

Diagnosis begins with discussing symptoms with a primary care physician.

This is followed by a series of tests, including blood tests, chest X-rays, an EKG, an echocardiogram (using ultrasound), and a coronary angiogram.

According to St. Vincent’s Hospital, treatments may include prescription medications, quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol and salt, controlling weight gain, and exercising.

In more severe cases, heart bypass, pacemaker, or valve surgery may be required.

Champion Essendon player Dean Wallis, also 52 and a two-time premiership winner, was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery after suffering a heart attack

“With early diagnosis, treatment and lifestyle changes, a person with heart failure can reduce their risk of hospitalization and improve their quality of life,” said Hearts4Heart.

Heart failure is a type of heart disease, the collective term for conditions that affect the structure and function of the heart muscle.

Other forms of heart disease include coronary artery disease (damage or disease in the heart’s major blood vessels), ischemic heart disease (where the heart is deprived of oxygen due to decreased blood flow), cardiac arrhythmias, and valvular heart disease.

The combined number of deaths from coronary heart disease and ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in Australia.

From 19 to 25 June it is Heart Failure Awareness Week in Australia.