Heart health campaigners have made a two-minute TV advert aimed to show the “Hollywood” version of a heart attack is usually a long way from the reality.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) advert aired just once – on ITV1 on Sunday evening.
It demonstrated the wide range of symptoms, including pain in the arm or the jaw that can signify an attack.
Betty McBride of the BHF said the charity wanted to increase awareness of when people should call 999.
Every year in the UK almost a quarter of a million people suffer heart attacks, a third of whom die before reaching hospital.
But most people get a false impression of what a heart attack feels and looks like from TV and Hollywood portrayals, where someone suddenly clutches their chest before falling to the floor.
‘Call 999′
Ms McBride said: “That is what it’s like for a few people. But mostly, there is a wide variety of symptoms such as pain in your arm, or in your jaw. For some women, it might be a heaviness on their chest.
“It’s not last night’s Vindaloo and it’s not indigestion, it’s not sunstroke – it might be a heart attack” Betty McBride, British Heart Foundation
“What we need people to recognise is that, once the doubt starts to seep into their minds, that something is happening to them that’s different to usual.
“It’s not last night’s Vindaloo and it’s not indigestion, it’s not sunstroke – it might be a heart attack. With that doubt, they should be ringing 999.”
Paul Phillips, chief executive officer of the East Midlands Ambulance Service, said ambulance services across the UK fully support the campaign.
“We’d rather attend a false alarm than arrive too late.”
The advert was transmitted in advance of the BHF’s Heart Awareness Day on 11 August.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment