{"id":4416,"date":"2025-05-29T07:07:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T07:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/?p=4416"},"modified":"2025-05-29T07:08:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T07:08:16","slug":"more-than-1-in-3-australians-over-50-with-an-irregular-heartbeat-delay-seeing-a-doctor-despite-multiple-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/retirement\/more-than-1-in-3-australians-over-50-with-an-irregular-heartbeat-delay-seeing-a-doctor-despite-multiple-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 1 in 3 Australians over 50 with an irregular heartbeat delay seeing a doctor despite multiple symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4416\" class=\"elementor elementor-4416\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b9a13e2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b9a13e2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4c6cfcf\" data-id=\"4c6cfcf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-134aa34 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"134aa34\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>A new national survey reveals that over a third of Australians aged 50+ with an irregular heartbeat \u2013 known as atrial fibrillation (AF) \u2013 wait until they experience four or more symptoms before seeking medical help.<\/p><p>This comes as AF continues to rise across the country, with more than half a million Australians now affected. AF is a progressive, lifelong condition in which the heart&#8217;s upper chambers (the atria) beat irregularly and out of sync with the lower chambers (the ventricles), disrupting the heart\u2019s normal rhythm.<\/p><p><strong>What are the signs of AF?<\/strong><\/p><p>Common symptoms include:<\/p><ul><li>Heart palpitations (fluttering or racing heartbeat)<\/li><li>Chest tightness<\/li><li>Fatigue<\/li><li>Shortness of breath<\/li><li>Dizziness<\/li><\/ul><p>However, 30% to 40% of people with AF experience no obvious symptoms, making it difficult to detect and diagnose.<\/p><p>\u201cWhile many adults say they understand heart health, 34% of people with AF wait until they\u2019ve had four or more symptoms before speaking to a doctor,\u201d said Dr Tomos Walters, Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Queensland Cardiovascular Group.<\/p><p>\u201cThis delay \u2013 combined with low awareness and a large number of symptom-free cases \u2013 is creating a \u2018perfect storm\u2019 for one of the most pressing public health issues of our time.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>The risks of leaving AF untreated<\/strong><\/p><p>AF isn\u2019t just uncomfortable \u2013 it\u2019s dangerous. It triples the risk of heart failure, makes stroke nearly five times more likely, and doubles the risk of dementia.<\/p><p>And with Australia\u2019s ageing population and rising rates of overweight and obesity, AF cases in people over 55 are expected to double within 20 years.<\/p><p><strong>The emotional toll of AF<\/strong><\/p><p>The survey also found that:<\/p><ul><li>77% of people with AF or its symptoms feel anxious or worried<\/li><li>13% report experiencing severe anxiety<\/li><li>31% say their quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks has declined<\/li><li>Only 31% feel motivated to take a more proactive role in managing their heart health \u2013 even after learning about the heightened risk of stroke<\/li><\/ul><p>\u201cMental and emotional stress can affect the heart. Anxiety is known to trigger arrhythmias like AF,\u201d said Dr Emily Kotschet, Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Monash Heart, Melbourne.<\/p><p>\u201cDepression and anxiety don\u2019t just make AF symptoms worse \u2013 they can increase the risk of it returning.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>The importance of physical activity<\/strong><\/p><p>Staying active is one of the best ways to prevent or manage AF. But 72% of Australians living with AF say the condition affects their ability to exercise, creating a cycle that\u2019s hard to break.<\/p><p>\u201cEven light, regular movement can make a big difference,\u201d said Dr Kotschet. \u201cDaily activity helps manage AF and reduces the risk of related health problems. The goal is to move more, not push too hard.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>Why early diagnosis matters<\/strong><\/p><p>Early detection of AF is essential. It allows for better management and can significantly lower the risk of serious complications.<\/p><p>If you\u2019re over 50 and notice changes in your heartbeat or experience symptoms like fatigue or shortness of breath, don\u2019t delay \u2013 speak to your GP. Even without symptoms, regular heart health checks are key to staying on top of your wellbeing.<\/p><p><strong>Fast facts: Atrial fibrillation in Australia<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Affects over 500,000 Australians<\/li><li>Can present without symptoms in 30-40% of cases<\/li><li>Triples risk of heart failure, increases stroke risk 5x<\/li><li>Only 31% feel motivated to manage their heart health<\/li><\/ul><p>Early diagnosis. Regular movement. Proactive care. These simple steps can help reduce the burden of AF for thousands of Australians.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new national survey reveals that over a third of Australians aged 50+ with an irregular heartbeat \u2013 known as atrial fibrillation (AF) \u2013 wait until they experience four or more symptoms before seeking medical help. This comes as AF continues to rise across the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retirement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4416"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4421,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4416\/revisions\/4421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}