Christopher Pincher Encourages Townsfolk to Check Their Pulse

The Member of Parliament for Tamworth, Christopher Pincher, this week gave his support to an event in Parliament, as part of World Heart Rhythm Week, to help raise awareness of the importance of pulse checks.

The campaign, spearheaded by the charities, Arrhythmia Alliance (the Heart Rhythm Charity) and Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA), aims to raise awareness of Atrial Fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm disorder in the UK. Figures published by the Department of Health in 2007 suggested that AF affected in excess of 800,000 people in the UK. However, this is now considered to be an underestimate and that a more accurate figure may now be in excess of one million, with 200,000 patients being newly diagnosed each year. It is also responsible for 18%-20% of all strokes in the UK.