Wear RED this FEB for heart disease

Another month, another fantastic cause for us to help raise awareness for.

February 2022 is the second annual REDFEB, where participants wear red throughout February to raise awareness of heart disease. REDFEB was started by brothers Michael, Ben and Tom in honour of their father who died suddenly of a heart attack.

Michael and his brothers dyed their hair red and added a perm, but all they’re asking us to do is wear red clothes. Sponsorship is optional but any fundraising will go to Heart Research Australia, where it will directly help those suffering from heart disease.

With every great cause is an ugly disease that makes it necessary. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, so while we appreciate and support REDFEB, we wish it didn’t have to exist at all.

Back in December, we covered heart attacks and why they are particularly common over Christmas. But heart disease affected 1.2 million Australians in 2017-2018, so it is easy to see why it needs a whole month dedicated to it.

So, why do we need REDFEB? What even is heart disease?

 What is heart disease: a simple definition?

There are a lot of clinical definitions for heart disease, but many people find these difficult to understand. Like any industry, medical terms are thrown around as jargon by doctors that have become immune to their trickiness.

The reason heart disease is particularly difficult to define is that it isn’t really one disease at all. Heart disease, simply, refers to any disease along the cardiovascular system, so that could be anything from blocked blood vessels and heart attacks to inherited heart diseases.

So, what are they?

What are the types of heart disease?

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation is a condition that causes arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). Usually, this is caused by dysfunction in the sino-atrial node – the inbuilt pacemaker responsible for causing the heart to beat. People with atrial fibrillation receive signals from multiple areas of their hearts, causing excessive and inconsistent beating.

Atherosclerosis

When the arteries harden or thicken, it is called atherosclerosis. This is – like many other heart diseases – caused by a build-up of plaque, cholesterol and other substances. Atherosclerosis makes it harder for the heart to pump blood, so causes heart attacks, angina and other heart-related symptoms.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a muscular disease that affects the heart. The heart (which is a muscle itself) becomes weak, stiff or thickened, preventing the heart from pumping enough blood around the body.

Congenital heart defects

Any defects or malfunctions in the heart that are present at birth are called congenital. This might be any of the other heart conditions we mention, and together are the leading cause of death in Australian babies.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease is most commonly caused by a narrowing of the arteries. Narrowing is most commonly caused by a build-up of plaque, cholesterol or other substances, and reduces the amount of blood that reaches the heart with each pump.

Heart disease: what’s next?

Learning you or a loved one have heart disease is difficult. You might feel anxious, depressed or scared – and that’s completely normal. Any feelings you have surrounding any diagnosis are perfectly valid and likely shared by millions of others.

Next week, we will cover diagnosis and treatment specifically, but if you would like more information in the meantime then speak to your doctor who will be happy to talk things through with you.