Belfast Cardiologist

17/08/2025

08/01/2025

💪 New Year, New You! 🏃‍♀️

Have you made exercise part of your New Year's resolution? Here’s why it’s great for your heart:

🏃‍♀️ Exercise helps reduce the risk of heart disease and manage key factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.

🚶‍♂️ The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week for adults to keep your heart healthy.

🏋️‍♀️ Aerobic, resistance training, HIIT, and even yoga all offer heart health benefits!

🏊‍♀️ Want even more benefits? Cross-training (a mix of aerobic and strength training) can lower your mortality rate compared to focusing on just one type of exercise.

💪 Stay active, stay fit, and boost your longevity!

👉 https://www.belfastcardiologist.com

28/11/2023

🏃🏼‍♀️ Excited to donate a Garmin heart rate monitor to Carryduff Running Club for their Christmas raffle. Supporting the lucky winner with their training by making sure they hit the appropriate heart rate zones. ❤️ 🏃🏾

CRC are raising money for Cancer Fund for Children to help them with their incredible work! 👏🏻

26/08/2023

Sedentary time in linked with damage in young adulthood https://t.co/IhLl8oymVq

26/08/2023

Smokers who start below age 20 become more addicted and find it more difficult to quit https://t.co/8vzj4PqczO ***co

12/07/2023

🫀Cardiac Arrest Vs Heart Attack 🫀

🚑Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating. Unfortunately for most people this will be fatal unless there is emergency treatment. It is due to an abnormal rhythm problem meaning the heart doesn’t beat properly and cannot support life.

🚑There are many causes of cardiac arrest but the most common include an acute lack of oxygen, existing heart failure, an acute heart attack or a pre-existing cardiac electrical problem. Patients present with collapse and loss of consciousness and need urgent CPR and treated by a defibrillator.

🚑A heart attack is an acute blockage of coronary artery which causes heart muscle death. The majority of heart attacks are due to clot formation on top of an atherosclerotic (fatty deposit) plaque in a heart artery. This clot blocks the heart artery causing symptoms of chest pain or acute shortness of breath.

🚑Most heart attacks are not acutely fatal but large ones can cause cardiac arrest. Heart attacks need treatment with blood thinning medication and interventions such as stents or coronary artery bypass surgery.

‼️Learn CPR- it could save a life.
‼️ Never ignore symptoms.

Get in touch to find out more and to book an appointment.
👉 https://www.belfastcardiologist.com
📞029 9048 4840

07/07/2023

Happy World Chocolate Day!

In moderation, chocolate can offer some cardiovascular benefits!

🍫💖 Studies suggest that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (1,2).

Dark chocolate consumption has also been associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease (3).

Obviously, moderation is key! Aim for small portions of high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content to reap the heart-healthy benefits. And always consider it as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. 🥦🏋️‍♀️

References:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012;95(3):740-751.
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2018;25(11):1235-1243.
The Journal of Nutrition. 2008;138(10):1939-1945.

Private appointments available.
To find out more and to book an appointment.
👉 https://www.belfastcardiologist.com
📞029 9048 4840

05/06/2023

Scientists have been unable to fully explain this ‘Blue Monday’ phenomenon.

01/06/2023

“🚨❤️ It's ! Nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests happen outside a hospital. Be prepared to take action! Learn Hands-Only CPR and become a real-life superhero. 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️ Let's create the , ready to make a difference. ❤️ ...

29/05/2023

Generally use the wrist artery instead of the leg these days, but still educational.

“Coronary angioplasty Credit: https://t.co/nPQsb0XycS”

09/05/2023

🫀🫀🫀 Spontaneous coronary artery dissection 🫀🫀🫀

🩸Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is heart attack not caused by the traditional fatty build up (atherosclerosis plaque) in a heart artery. It is due to a spontaneous bleed in the coronary artery vessel wall causing a collection of blood (haematoma). The haematoma can cause the wall of the vessel to dissect and narrow, preventing blood flow.

♀️ SCAD is vastly more common among women. The clinical presentation is similar to heart attacks of other causes (acute chest pain and shortness of breath), but the diagnosis may be missed because the patients are typically young or mid-life without cardiovascular risk factors. Two-thirds of patients recall extreme physical or emotional stress preceding the event. (1)

🫀The prevalence of SCAD has been estimated to be as high as 4% of all patients presenting with heart attacks (2), and accounts for approximately 25% of heart attacks in women aged less than 50 (3).


(1) JACC. 2020;76:961-984.
(2) JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2020; 13(8):921–932.
(3) Can J Cardiol, 2014;30(7):814-9.

Get in touch to find out more and to book an appointment.
👉 https://www.belfastcardiologist.com
📞029 9048 4840

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