FREE check-ups will be offered to Southampton football fans as part of a campaign to raise awareness of heart valve disease.

Anyone over the age of 55 will be able to benefit from the scheme, launched by Southampton Football Club and Southampton General Hospital, at the Saints v Middlesbrough game on Sunday.

The ‘Tackle Valve Disease Check-up Event’ will be held from 2.15pm until 3pm at St Mary’s Stadium, in Britannia Road.

Heart Valve Voice is raising awareness of the condition, which affects 1.5millon over-65s in the UK, and seeking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease as part of its national football #TackleValveDisease campaign.

The check-up event is one of three taking place across the UK.

Heart valve disease is a common, but treatable, heart condition where the heart valves no longer work properly.

When the valves are diseased it can rapidly affect the pumping action of blood around the body.

However, many patients do not suffer severe or visible symptoms, or put their symptoms, like breathlessness, fatigue and chest pains, down to the natural ageing process, making diagnosis difficult. 

The initiative follows the launch of the charity’s 2020 Vision Report, Towards a Heart Healthy Future: a 2020 Vision for Heart Valve Disease, at a parliamentary event earlier this month. 

Paul Hedges, Saint’s health and wellbeing senior project officer, said: “We are delighted to be working with Heart Valve Voice on the Tackle Valve Disease check-up event to raise awareness of this underdiagnosed condition amongst the football community.

“We already offer a Saints Foundation wellbeing programme and are always looking for new ways to improve the health and fitness of local fans.”

Wil Woan, Heart Valve Voice’s CEO, added: “We aim to improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of heart valve disease by raising awareness of its severity and the need for timely detection and sport provides a great platform to engage with and educate people. 

“By tackling valve disease head on and taking action, we can really make a difference to people’s lives. The more we listen, the more lives we save.” 

E-mail info@heartvalvevoice.com to book your check-up.