SUFFERING a heart attack can have a massive emotional impact putting a strain on relationships and leaving people feeling depressed for years, a major charity warned today.(mon)

Research by the British Heart Foundation Scotland shows the emergency does not just affect the physical health of the patient.

Their survey of families of heart attack survivors found 32 per cent live in constant fear of their loved one suffering a repeat attack and 22 per cent describe feeling trapped.

More than half (53%) feel angry about what has happened and just over a third (37%) believe other people do not understand how serious a heart attack is.

Around one in seven relatives have to give up their job or reduce their working hours to care for the heart attack victim, according to the survey of 2,000 people .

With someone going to hospital with a heart attack every 24 minutes in Scotland, the charity is calling for more research to improve prevention and treatments for the conditions patients suffer afterwards.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the BHF, said: "Largely because of the BHF's investment in world leading research over the last 50 years, most people now survive a heart attack. But this doesn't mean the battle is won. There is currently no way to reverse the damage caused by a heart attack meaning hundreds of thousands of people are living with the devastating and often deadly effects of heart failure."

The charity is appealing for people to support their "Wear it. Beat it." fundraising drive next month which invites people to wear read and host an event to raise money for BHF Scotland.

Pamela Spence, from Neilston, East Renfrewshire, was only 32 when she had a heart attack in February last year.

She said: "Although I had no sign of heart problems before my heart attack, there is a history in my family - my dad died of a heart attack at the age of 54 and my uncle also had a heart attack when he was fairly young.

"The whole experience was very stressful for everyone, but I've been lucky to have such a supportive family. People can't believe I had a heart attack at such a young age."

A year on, she is organising her own fundraising night to support BHF Scotland.

When someone has a heart attack, it is usually because the arteries that supply their heart muscle are blocked by a clot, cutting off the supply of oxygen-rich blood. Starving the heart of blood irreversibly damages the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure. For patients diagnosed with severe heart failure, the chances of surviving for more than five years are worse than many forms of cancer. Patients may also be left with other debilitating conditions such as angina and their emotional health may be affected, with 44% of survivors saying they've felt low or depressed after their heart attack, even many years after the event.

It is estimated that there are 100,000 heart attack survivors living in Scotland.

Professor Rhian Touyz, who is researching high blood pressure at Glasgow University, said: "My colleagues and I want to see a world where no-one dies prematurely or suffers from cardiovascular disease. It is the major cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even dementia, which can cause long term damage impacting on people's physical and mental health."

"Thanks to BHF supporters' donations towards our research, we're learning more and more about how high blood pressure occurs in the body. Our work could lead to better diagnoses and treatments for the millions of people with high blood pressure, lowering their risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia."

For more information about hosting an event for Wear it. Beat it. visit bhf.org.uk/red.