A SHIPLEY medical practice is giving shoppers the chance to check their heart health with an awareness day at the town's library.

Westcliffe Medical Centre's cardiology service is hosting the event aimed at raising awareness of heart irregularities next Thursday during Heart Rhythm Week 2015.

The event is the idea of Bradford Arrhythmia Group, a patient support group, which is based at Westcliffe surgery.

The group is made up of patients with heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF) a condition which causes abnormalities in the rhythm of the heart.

Cardiology practitioner Bernie Cahill said: "The group comes to us with a great idea for an event or speaker and members decided that Heart Rhythm week is the perfect opportunity for an awareness event.

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"This event is all about knowledge and getting to recognise symptoms of a possible heart problem."

One of the practice's GPs, Dr Matt Fay has been pioneering an innovative improvement project for patients living with the potential ticking-time bomb of AF by prescribing anti-coagulant drugs in place of aspirin which has led to fewer strokes in the district.

He said: "Abnormalities in the rhythm of the heart put people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, even at a relatively young age and in people who can seem very fit.

"Also a common rhythm abnormality in older age, AF, can dramatically increase the risk of stroke.

"This awareness event is the perfect opportunity for people to find out if they – or a loved one – could be at risk.”

Cardiac nurse specialist, Shona Holding, who is also helping to organise the event, added that people will also be shown how to check their own pulse.

"There will also be an opportunity to learn how to perform basic life support and use automated defibrillators which are now available in many public places," she said.

"The theme of this year’s Heart Rhythm Week is detect, protect and correct, and being able to check your own pulse is very important. Often people are unaware they may have an irregular pulse which can indicate a heart rhythm disorder.

"That’s why it is vital people have their pulse checked regularly."

The event at Shipley Library runs from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 4pm.

There will also be a selection of informative leaflets and literature on hand from the British Heart Foundation, the Atrial Fibrillation Association and the Arrhythmia Alliance, the heart rhythm charity behind Heart Rhythm Week.

NHS Bradford Districts CCG has started a Healthy Hearts campaign aimed at reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in people in at risk groups in and around the city. For more information visit bradforddistrictsccg.nhs.uk