Portrush farmer who survived heart attack warns of ‘silent killer’

A farmer from Portrush who survived a heart attack is seeking to raise awareness of the “silent killer” that could affect as many as 100,000 people in Northern Ireland.

Then 59-year-old Robert Nevin had no prior symptoms when two years ago he woke in the middle of the night with what he thought was indigestion, got up early the next day and worked for five hours on his farm, before driving himself to hospital.

Following tests, he found out he was having a heart attack.

Mr Nevin had a stent fitted and made a good recovery, and has since had a British Heart Foundation red bench unveiled in his honour in his hometown.

Now 61, Mr Nevin has joined the charity and the NI Agri-Rural Health Forum to encourage thousands of farmers to get their blood pressure checked.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Northern Ireland, linked to around 2,200 deaths each year.

Around 300,000 people are on their GP’s hypertension register, meaning up to 100,000 people in Northern Ireland could be undiagnosed.

More than half of heart attacks and strokes in Northern Ireland are associated with high blood pressure.

Mr Nevin said his experience taught him “how important it is for everyone to look after their heart health and take it seriously”.

“I was fit and healthy all my life and many people, including myself, struggled to understand how this happened to me,” he said.

“Particularly in the field of farming, which can be a very stressful and isolating line of work, farmers might have more of a tendency to ignore symptoms as I did and to a certain extent believe they are invincible.

“However there are some simple steps you can take to look after your heart health, starting with getting your blood pressure checked.”

Fearghal McKinney, head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland said high blood pressure “is known as the silent killer for good reason as it usually doesn’t cause any symptoms”.

“All too often we see patients who have suffered serious heart disease or stroke caused by their high blood pressure and they had no idea their blood pressure had been elevated, probably for many years,” he said.

“Robert is supporting our campaign to bring vital awareness amongst the farming community and further afield.

“Our red bench will be situated at the Farm Families stand all week at Balmoral and I would encourage anyone attending, over the age of 40, to get their blood pressure checked.”