A mum-of-two from Stanmore who had a heart attack while making Diwali sweets with her daughter, is helping the British Heart Foundation (BHF) raise awareness of how South Asians are at higher risk of some heart and circulatory conditions.
Hina Shah was 36 in November 2007 when she was preparing for Diwali with her daughter, Hiral, and suddenly felt a choking sensation. She went to lie down, and shortly afterwards, Hiral, who was five at the time, went looking for her.
Hina, now 53, said: “She saw me lying there, and I had really deteriorated. She said, ‘Mum what are you doing?’
Hina could barely speak and whispered to her daughter to go and get her father-in-law, Harakhchandbhai, who was 69 at the time. He was shocked to see Hina so unwell, and called for an ambulance.
“He dialled but he didn’t know what to tell them really,” Hina added. “He speaks English but it’s not his first language. He was trying to understand the questions they were asking him, looking at me and relaying responses as he could.”
Within minutes, paramedics came to the scene and rushed Hina to hospital after noticing that her blood pressure was dropping. Doctors quickly discovered she had a blocked coronary artery and inserted two stents, which helped save her life.
Hina said: “I didn’t find out what led to the heart attack. The only thing that they said is because I am of South Asian origin, I could be genetically predisposed to having a higher risk of heart-related issues.”
Some studies suggest that being of South Asian descent increases the risk of heart conditions such as a heart attack, according to the BHF. One study suggests that South Asians are almost twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease than White Europeans, a condition that leads to heart attack and stroke.[1]
This Diwali, Hina has joined the BHF in raising awareness of this higher risk for people of South Asian origin. The charity recently translated some of its online health information into three South Asian and two European languages – Urdu, Bangla/Bengali, Punjabi, Romanian and Polish. This was funded thanks to employee fundraising from our charity partner, Royal Mail – to ensure that it is accessible to everyone that needs it.
The web pages have information on exercise, heart health and a range of heart conditions and their risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
During the long, and at times frustrating, journey of recovery, Hina used resources from the BHF, such as the Heart Helpline. She said that nurses on the helpline helped her to learn medical terms so she could better understand her doctors. Hina also used booklets and information on heart disease to find out what lifestyle changes she should make.
Hina added: “Looking at the BHF booklets and materials really helped me, because it gave me hope. People have done all sorts of inspirational things after having a heart attack. Yes, you have to take medication and manage the side effects, but it is possible to live a healthy life afterwards.”
Even though now Hiral, now 22, is grown up, they still spent last Diwali together. Hina said: “Hiral and I still make sweets together. At first it used to trigger bad memories of what happened, but after a few years we made chocolate rice krispie balls.”
Amy Corkery, Senior Patient Information Lead at the British Heart Foundation, says:
“”We’re so pleased that our health information helped Hina navigate what must have been a scary and uncertain time in her life, and we’re even more thrilled that she’s spreading the word that we are there for anybody affected by heart and circulatory diseases”
“We are delighted to be making our health information more accessible to more people by translating it into five of the most common languages spoken in the UK, outside of English. Widening our reach and supporting more people is vital.”
This translation of health information has been supported by Royal Mail in partnership with British Heart Foundation, in hopes of providing support to those at highest risk of heart and circulatory diseases. It is vital that people of all backgrounds have equal opportunities to learn about their hearts and have the best access to easily understandable health information.
The BHF’s information and support services can give you help and guidance on any heart question that bothers you, no matter how big or small. To find out more, search ‘BHF questions’ or speak with one of our cardiac nurses on our Heart Helpline.
