Croí launches ‘Listen to Your Heart’ campaign with free stethoscope tests in Castleroy Town Centre

Ireland’s heart and stroke charity, Croí, has launched Heart Valve Disease (HVD) Awareness Week. 

Croí will be hosting four free stethoscope check events across the country including Castletroy Town Centre, Limerick on September 16.

Croí expects to listen to over 1,000 hearts over the course of the week.

This marks an expansion from 2022 when Croí hosted one such event in Eyre Square in Galway. 

Croí listened to 300 shoppers’ hearts and a staggering 10% of those seen were referred to their GP for further tests. 

This was a worrying number given those 300 shoppers were seemingly healthy people that happened to take advantage of the free check.

The expansion of HVD Awareness Week in Ireland is clearly required. 

A previous survey compiled by the European Heart Health Survey shows that Ireland lags significantly behind its EU counterparts when it comes to the frequency of stethoscope checks.

The research showed that just 32% of Irish patients over the age of 60 received a stethoscope check each time they visited their GP, compared with 76% in France and 57% in Belgium, while 9% of those surveyed said they had never received a stethoscope check from their GP.

This is despite the fact that stethoscope testing is recognised as the key detector of HVD, the name given to any malfunction or abnormality of one or more of the heart’s four valves, affecting the flow of blood through the heart.

Associated with ageing, the condition is estimated to affect 13% of the population who are over the age of 75, with the risk of heart disease increases significantly after 65. 

Common symptoms include breathlessness, fatigue and dizziness, though in some cases there may be no visible symptoms.

Ireland’s ageing population is leading to an increased prevalence of HVD. 

It is estimated that across Europe the number of people living with HVD will double by 2040 and triple by 2060. HVD has been described as ‘the next cardiac epidemic.’

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Neil Johnson, CEO of Croí, said; “There are many milestones associated with getting older – reaching retirement, getting to spend more time on hobbies and with family and friends, maybe having grandkids. But all of these are contingent on a healthy heart – that’s why Croí is calling on those over 65 to seek annual stethoscope checks as another important ageing milestone.To mark Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week, Croí is hosting free stethoscope checks in four pop up locations around the country. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to take five minutes out of their day to stop by and have a check – it could make all the difference to your long-term health.”

To learn more about HVD Awareness Week 2023 go to – HERE.