Hull in print : Health in Hull

Hull is where the heart is…
NHS Hull has launched a mobile Healthy Hearts testing booth to make it as convenient as possible for people aged 40-64 to have their cholesterol levels checked, which can identify their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
The booth has already visited Queen Victoria Square and St Stephen's shopping centre and over the coming months will move between popular areas such as the Prospect Centre, Princes Quay, the KC Stadium, Craven Park stadium, and health centres.
It will even drop in on large employers within the city to allow people to be tested while they are at work.
Eighty thousand Hull people fall into the target age group and are encouraged to look out for the Healthy Hearts booth at a location near them.
The test is quick and easy (it takes about 30 minutes) and the results can be given there and then.
A finger-prick device is used to draw a small sample of blood from which a person's cholesterol level can be read. People can also have their height, weight, and blood pressure measured, and gain advice about healthy eating and the amount of exercise they need to stay well.
"People can understandably feel shocked to be told their cholesterol levels are too high and that, as a result, they have a serious risk of heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years," says Lisa Hutson, a health improvement practitioner with NHS Hull who works on the Healthy Hearts testing booth.
"Even if they generally feel well and have nothing else wrong with them it's still worth taking the test as cholesterol can be building up unnoticed inside their bodies.
"The test gives people the information they need to make the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to stay healthy for longer and extend their lives."
Lisa tests up to 20 people a day, and 4,000 Hull people have been tested so far this year.

David's story

One of those to have been tested is David Elton (63) from east Hull, who came across the Healthy Hearts booth at St Stephen's during a recent shopping trip.
He decided to call in and take a test and the result showed a dangerously high cholesterol level, meaning that he was running a serious risk of heart attack or stroke unless he made changes to his eating habits.
David said he had not been eating properly since he lost his wife six years ago, and that his diet had worsened since he was made redundant from his job with a glazing firm earlier this year.
He fell into a routine of eating nothing for breakfast and lunch and then over-eating in the evenings.
"I got to a point where I couldn't be bothered to peel vegetables and cook for myself and I began neglecting my health and eating too much at the wrong times," David says.
"I'm really glad I took the test because without it I might never have known about the danger to my health."

Health training

NHS Hull health trainer Lizzie Glenville also works in the booth and she was on hand to give David some advice when he received his test result.
Lizzie advised him to keep a food diary to record everything he eats and when; she encouraged him to keep active by going on regular walks, and she also recommended a healthy eating course to learn how to cook a wide range of healthy meals at home.
She advised him to see his doctor to discuss other options, such as prescribed medication, to help lower his cholesterol level.
Lizzie also arranged follow-up meetings with David to review his progress and encourage him to maintain his healthier lifestyle.
"David is doing really well, he has taken on board all the advice we gave him and his health is steadily improving as a result," says Lizzie.

info

For more information on the Healthy Hearts service call 01482 344047

Working in partnership
Hull City Council

NHS Hull tel. (01482) 344700


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