Good chance of recovery for those who survive heart attack

Broadcaster Michael Lyster was diagnosed with heart failure in October 2012, having struggled with the symptoms for several months. "I was feeling very unwell, all the symptoms were there but I didn't recognise them," the popular former Sunday Game presenter recalls.

“I was very, very tired all the time and felt like I had a bad cold. I could only walk for short distances without stopping for a rest. I was out of breath all the time. I was waking up at night struggling to breathe.”

He didn't ignore the symptoms, however. "On reflection, it was obvious, but I put it off and hoped it came right. I wasn't completely ignoring it though. I did go to my GP, but he thought it could be a virus as well. It got to the point where I knew I needed to go to the hospital for tests. I went to the Blackrock Clinic and thought I'd be there for about an hour. It was so serious they kept me in, and I was there for several weeks."

And it was very serious indeed. “It was explained to me that I was down to 15 per cent heart function,” says Lyster.

The good news is that his heart function is now back at between 60 and 70 per cent. “Heart failure is something that if you survive you stand a pretty good chance of recovery and leading a normal life. I don’t have stents and didn’t have to have a heart operation, but I have made a fairly good recovery. I’m on a lot of medication but I am fortunate that no other intervention was required.”

The secret to that recovery was relatively simple. “The process of getting back to health is all about looking after yourself better, taking exercise, eating properly and regularly and so on. The medication is critically important, of course.”

His advice to others is to get checked out the moment they notice any symptoms. “It could be nothing, but you are better to get it checked out as it could be heart failure. The earlier it is diagnosed the quicker you can get treatment and recover.”