The majority of Scots are unaware of the impact of heart failure despite almost 70,000 people in the country living with the condition, according to a charity.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says 37% incorrectly believe heart failure means that your heart stops working.
The charity is now appealing for funds for cutting-edge research examining severe heart failure – a condition most commonly caused by a heart attack.
It said medical advances mean more people are surviving heart attacks but they cause permanent damage to the heart muscle that can leave people with heart failure – for which there is currently no cure.
Launching its Mending Broken Hearts appeal, it said stem-cell research and developmental biology could work out how to repair damaged heart muscle.
BHF medical director Professor Peter Weissberg said: "More people are surviving heart attacks due to the advances we've made in cardiology, but that isn't the end of the story. A heart attack causes damage.
"We believe a cure for heart failure is a goal we can achieve. We want to advance the science so that when someone has a heart attack, doctors have the tools to help repair the heart.
"What we need now is for the public to help us fund this research and take it from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside."
The BHF said more than 69,100 people in Scotland are living with heart failure.
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