Urgent warning to thousands living with undiagnosed silent killer – the 7 red flags to watch out for

AN urgent warning has been issued to Brits who could be living with a silent killer illness.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common irregular heartbeat disorder - but many people don't know that they have the condition.

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The NHS says that AF is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often an abnormally fast heart rate, which can lead to a deadly stroke.

The simplest way to check for the condition is to monitor your pulse, but research by biopharmaceutical company revealed that one in five people who are at risk of the condition, don't actually know how to do this.

When checking a pulse you use the wrist or neck and place the index and middle finger onto the inside of the wrist or at the side of your neck and you'll feel it.

Then you count the number of beats for 30 seconds, and then double that number to get your heart rate in beats per minute.

A normal resting heart rate will sit between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm) and for people with AF this could be as high as 100 bpm.

Those who are more at risk of the condition include those who have a personal or familial risk of heart disease.

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This could be because you already suffer with issues such as high cholesterol or if you have a family history of heart issues.

Experts have urged people to look out for the signs of AF as it increases the risk of a stoke by five times and is also associated with heart failure.

Detecting the condition early is key and will likely improve outcomes for patients.

The medics highlighted the 7 symptoms you need to know:

1. Heart palpitations
2. Irregular heart rhythm
3. Tiredness
4. Shortness of breath
5. Feeling faint
6. Lightheaded
7. Chest pain

While these are the main symptoms of AF some people who experience heart palpitations will describe them as a butterfly feeling - with others struggling to pinpoint what it actually feels like.

But many will have minimal or experience no symptoms at all - making detection of the condition challenging.

As a result, as many as 300,000 people are living with undiagnosed AF in the UK, experts have warned.

Shockingly, a study conducted by Bristol Myers Squibb found that just 53 per cent of people knew that an irregular heart rhythm can lead to a stroke.

In the UK a stroke is the fourth leading cause of death, with one occurring every five minutes.

The data also shows that of those with a personal or family history of a heart condition, only 13 per cent actively make appointments to attend heart health screenings to detect any heart abnormalities at an early stage.

This is while 30 per cent of people with a personal or with a family history of a previous heart condition do not recognise symptoms of arrhythmia.

Belinda Sandler, Associate Director, Medical Lead, BMS Cardiovascular UK & Ireland said: "We urge people with a personal or family history of a heart condition to regularly check their pulse or, if unsure how, to speak to their GP.

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"If more people actively check their pulse, this can aid early diagnosis and appropriate management of the condition to prevent stroke.”

If your GP suspects you have AF then they might give you an electrocardiogram (ECG) and refer you to a heart specialist (cardiologist) for further tests.