Visitors to Hawke's Bay Hospital had a unique opportunity today to get their hearts checked as part of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Awareness Week.
Stationed outside the cafe at the main entrance to the hospital, people were able to undergo an assessment to check if their heartbeat was irregular, which the Heart Foundation had warned could affect up to 20,000 New Zealanders, and which caused poor blood flow and an increased the risk of stroke.
Hawke's Bay DHB cardiologist Miles Williams said 30 per cent of people with AF did not know they had it.
Those most at risk were usually aged over 65 and had other conditions such as high blood pressure, he said.
"It's a strange phenomenon - some people are immediately aware of it, they feel it in their chest and throat, but a person standing next to them could have an equally irregular heart beat and be unaware."