MLA's Supports Cardiac Risk Monitoring by NICHS

xa0Assembly Members were practising what they have been preaching at the Northern Ireland Assembly last week with the help of Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke.

[caption id="attachment_38986" align="alignright" width="390"] NICHS Health Promotion Nurse Collette Johnston checks out UUP leader Mike Nesbitt during a visit to Parliament Building to promote health awareness.[/caption] Nurses from the charity were on hand at Parliament Buildings to carry out Cardiac Risk Factor assessments for MLA’s.

“We are delighted that MLA’s have taken time out of their busy schedules to help stress the importance of health prevention and health promotion,” said Fidelma Carter, the newly appointed Director of Public Health at NICHS.

She added: “The event marks the fact that for 25 years Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke have had nurses out and about in the community assessing people’s health and offering advice.

“Our team of nurses, and our work in schools and with homeless people, stresses the importance of involving the community in looking after their own health and promoting healthier lifestyles.”

“We see what we do as complimenting the significant reforms in health and social care that the Minister, Edwin Poots has planned under his ‘Transforming Your Care’ policy.”

Dozens of MLA’s from all parties booked in for the 20 minute assessments at Parliament Buildings.

Health Minister Edwin Poots also took time out to be assessed and said:xa0“I am very supportive of the important work done by Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) through their health promotion and raising awareness of risk factors for cardiovascular and respiratory illness.

“The cardiac risk factor assessment offers individuals the opportunity to have cholesterol and blood pressure measured by the nurse team.xa0 The assessment aims to increase awareness of, and identify, the risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke.xa0 I am delighted to be taking part in this today and would encourage everyone to get assessed regularly.”

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The cardiac risk factor assessment offers individuals the opportunity to have cholesterol and blood pressure measured by the nurse team.xa0 The assessment aims to increase awareness of, and identify, the risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke.xa0 Advice and information regarding dietary changes, smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise will be provided.

Each assessment will last approximatelyxa020 minutesxa0and includes:

* xa0 Full lipid profile ( HDL, LDL, Cholesterol Triglycerides)

* xa0 Blood glucose levels

* xa0 Blood pressure measurement

* xa0 xa0Lifestyle evaluation

* xa0 50% of all adult deaths in Northern Ireland are caused by chest, heart or stroke illness.

* xa0 More than 7000 people die each year from a chest, heart or stroke illness – that’s 20 every day, killing almost twice as many people per day asxa0 cancer (11 per day).

* xa0 453 women under the age of 75 die of respiratory disease and 171 die from heart disease each year, both bigger killers than breast cancer.

* xa0 Each year approximately 4,000 people suffer a stroke, and over 33,000 people are living with stroke and TIA.

* xa0 Almost 75,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with Coronary Heart Disease.

* xa0 In 2010, deaths from respiratory disease accounted for 13% of all deaths in Northern Ireland . Deaths from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) represented almost 30% of all respiratory deaths.

* xa0 Respiratory disease is the most commonly reported long-term illness in children and the third most commonly reported in adults, after musculoskeletal disorders and heart and circulatory disorders.

* xa0 Smoking causes over 2300 deaths per year in Northern Ireland and robs 10 -15 years of healthy life.