Official documents have revealed that beloved TV presenter Paul O'Grady died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Paul died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' at the age of 67 on March 28.
His death was registered six days later and the death certificate shows that Paul died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. It has since been announced that Paul's funeral will be held at an animal park. Paul had previously survived three heart attacks and had a near-fatal bout of Covid.
Heart disease ran in his family, with his mother and father once both suffering heart attacks in the same week. Sadly his father's proved to be fatal. His mum later died of a separate attack, the Mirror reports.
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His first heart attack happened in 2002 when Paul was just 47. He switched to a healthier lifestyle, starting the day with a swim and taking long country walks near his home in Aldington, Kent. He had a second heart attack in 2006, this time more serious. After a raft of tests and surgery to clear a blocked artery, he was released from hospital and placed on blood thinning medication.
What is cardiac arrhythmia?
According to the NHS, an arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. Arrhythmias can affect all age groups, but atrial fibrillation is more common in older people. Drinking alcohol in excess or being overweight increases your likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation.
The NHS says that arrhythmia can be a complication of a heart attack as a result of damage to the heart muscles. Damaged muscles disrupt electrical signals that control the heart.
Some arrhythmias, such as tachycardia, are mild and cause symptoms such as:
- palpitations – the sensation of your heart pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, felt in your chest or throat
- chest pain
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- tiredness (fatigue)
- breathlessness
Other arrhythmias can be life threatening, including:
- complete heart block, where electrical signals are unable to travel from one side of your heart to the other, so your heart cannot pump blood properly
- ventricular arrhythmia, where the heart begins beating faster before going into a spasm and stops pumping completely; this is known as sudden cardiac arrest
The NHS website says: "Certain types of arrhythmia occur in people with severe heart conditions, and can cause sudden cardiac death. This kills 100,000 people in the UK every year. Some of these deaths could be avoided if the arrhythmias were diagnosed earlier.
"Common triggers for an arrhythmia are viral illnesses, alcohol, tobacco, changes in posture, exercise, drinks containing caffeine, certain over-the-counter and prescribed medicines, and illegal recreational drugs."
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include:
- palpitations
- feeling dizzy
- fainting
- short of breath
Arrhythmias can be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram (ECG). It isn't always possible to prevent an arrhythmia but a health lifestyle can lower your risk of developing one.
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