While heart failure affects 2 million people in France and causes the death of 70,000 peoplethe French cardiology society has taken this problem head on. At the end of 2024, 25 health establishments are organizing screening for this chronic pathology. The objective: to identify signs early using simple tests for better care and improvement of quality of life patients.
To identify heart failure there is signs which are grouped under the acronym “Epof” for shortness of breath, weight gain, edema and fatigue. These symptoms are linked to a heart pump fault. “It’s as if the engine did not work. So, the blood does not reach the different organs,” explains Dr Benoît Lequeux, head of the cardiological prevention unit at Poitiers University Hospital, on France Bleu.
“We diagnose because we have solutions,” assures cardiologist Annabel Jagu. “There are treatments, physical activity is essential. When you have heart failure, you have to be careful with salt”
The test takes approximately 15 minutes. Medical teams use a device to detect the presence of a hormone in the blood using a simple drop of blood taken at the tip of the finger. This hormone is released into the blood when the heart works too hard. “We diagnose because we have solutionsassures cardiologist Annabel Jagu. There are treatments, physical activity is essential. When you have heart failure, you have to be careful with salt,” she emphasizes.
In September, Health Insurance launched a major awareness campaign on this pathologywhose objective is to adopt the best possible lifestyle : maintain daily physical activity, weigh yourself regularly to monitor the appearance of edema, and replace salt with spices in your diet. “There is a statistic that is frightening, a study carried out by children between six and eleven years old. On those who are physical inactivity and who are overweight, two thirds will have a heart attack before the age of 30“, warns Dr Benoît Lequeux on France Bleu.
To get tested, nothing could be simpler, just go to the clinic or hospital from your region who organizes it. For regions where screening has taken place, you can talk to your doctor about it. Here is the list and dates in slideshow.
