The Heart Research Institute (HRI) has launched a new Consumer Program, linking people who have cardiovascular disease to researchers so that lived experience informs groundbreaking science.
The nationwide initiative invites people who have been impacted by a range of cardiovascular-related conditions, including conditions like congenital heart disease, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, sepsis, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and heart and blood vessel damage due to cancer treatments.
“A patient's lived experience with cardiovascular disease helps make medical research more impactful and relevant,” said Professor Andrew Coats AO, Scientific Director and CEO of HRI.
“Consumers offer our scientists valuable perspectives that researchers alone may not see, such as how a condition affects everyday life, their families, and communities.
“By sharing their insights, consumers can help shape the direction of research, improve communication, and ensure outcomes that matter most, which is improving and saving lives.”
One of the participants is 64-year-old runner and triathlete and Warren Williams - who was first diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), or an abnormal heart rhythm, out of the blue when he was 49. The athlete was rushed to a cardiologist to begin medication, but the drugs were unsuccessful.
Ten years later Williams suffered a cardiac arrest while doing what he loves.
"As soon as I stopped running, everything just went completely black," Warren recalls. “I came to after 30 seconds and felt totally fine. I thought I had just fainted. I had no warning signs, no pain, I just went down.”
Warren shared his story, alongside Professor Julie McMullen, on A Current Affair.
