New heart and lung checks announced this week are set to play an important role in the early detection and prevention of cardiovascular risk factors, helping to ensure that those at risk receive effective treatment sooner.
The initiative is an important step towards improving long-term health outcomes and increasing the chances of living a longer, disease-free life, College President Hany Eteiba said today (Friday 21 August).
The Healthy Heart and Lung Checks are to be delivered by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and supported by local NHS services. The scheme was announced by Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, on Thursday.
The aim is to help identify those most at risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease to help prevent illness - and support earlier intervention when required. People will take part in a range of tests including blood pressure and BMI measurements, heart rate, cholesterol and pulse checks.
Professor Hany Eteiba, our College President and a frontline interventional cardiologist, said:
“This is a positive development and welcome news. Early detection will give more people the best chance to reduce their cardiovascular risk of long-term conditions.
"We want to see more patients living longer and healthier lives; this announcement is an important step towards improving life chances.”
Around one in five people in Scotland are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition. The scheme will begin in Tayside, Glasgow and Grampian before being developed and extended.