Hawks' Summer Signing is a Lifesaver!
Havant & Waterlooville Football Club's summer "signing" - Wessex Heartbeat - proved to be a real life-saver.
The Hawks booked up with the regional cardiac charity to give their staff the opportunity of a health assessment.
Groundsman Darren Matthews's blood pressure was discovered to be so dangerously high that he was taken into hospital that same day.
He spent a week at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, where he was monitored, given medication and advice on how to make changes to his lifestyle. Now Darren (40) is back at work at Westleigh Park, Havant, where he has spent more than nine years working part-time for The Hawks. And he is full of praise for "Your Healthy Heart" initiative and its cardiac nursing team who quickly pinpointed his life-threatening condition.
"I wasn't even going to go in for the checks, but my brother persuaded me to", said Darren, whose blood pressure was recorded at 260/140mmHg. "Now I am eating a healthier diet and have cut down on crisps and chocolate, and I am not drinking alcohol", added Darren, of Leigh Park, who admitted that he was consuming up to seven pints of beer a night.
Darren didn't think that he would be a candidate for high blood pressure. He wasn't overweight, doesn't smoke, and together with his brother Martin (44), walked more than four miles several times a week cutting the football pitch.
Wessex Heartbeat's "Your Healthy Heart" was visiting the football club as part of its continuing drive to support the health of the community throughout the Wessex region. Cardiac nurses are visiting companies and organisations offering blood pressure checks and cholesterol testing - both of which are silent killers; blood glucose and body mass index checks. Each employee tested receives a card with all their results recorded and the nurses will provide them with information on staying healthy, and advisory leaflets based on their results. If there are any concerns, the participant is advised to visit their GP. Visit our "Your Healthy Heart" pages.
In Darren's case, Adi Aymes, the general manager of Havant and Waterlooville FC, drove him straight away to Havant Health Centre, and he was referred to Queen Alexandra Hospital. "In Darren's case it was an accident waiting to happen and we are so thankful that the Wessex Heartbeat initiative identified it", said Adi. "On the day we had about 12 members of staff checked out and we are now thinking of having a return session at a later date to assess our players."
He added: "I am a great believer in fate and booking "Your Healthy Heart" turned into a life-saving day for Darren."
Sara Gilbert, one of the cardiac rehabilitation nurses from Southampton General Hospital who attended, said that Darren's blood pressure was the highest ever recorded in any of the sessions. "I was called over to double-check it and my blood pressure definitely went up when I discovered what the reading showed!" she said.
Sara said that high blood pressure often caused no symptoms or immediate problems, but was a major risk factor for developing a serious cardiovascular disease such as a stroke or heart disease. "When we are going around companies and organisations we may test around 50 people and not find anything untoward. But picking a problem up and being able to take preventative action makes this initiative so worthwhile", she added.
• As a "thank-you" on behalf of Darren, Havant & Waterlooville FC have offered to let their facilities (i.e. room and parking) be used by any local company or organisation wishing to book "Your Healthy Heart" sessions through Wessex Heartbeat.
• High blood pressure (hypertension) is normally defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.
• High blood pressure is thought to affect as many as 40% of adults in the UK.
• If you have high blood pressure your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. Over time, this can weaken it. Also the increased pressure can damage the walls of your arteries, which can result in a blockage or cause the artery to split. Both these conditions can lead to a stroke.
Photo (left to right) Adi Aymes, general manager of Havant and Waterlooville FC; Martin Matthews; Darren Matthews; D'Arcy Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Wessex Heartbeat.
If you would like more information on "Your Healthy Heart", please visit the campaign pages or contact Melody on 02380 795927 or info@heartbeat.org.uk
