Free heart health clinic for men aged 40 to 70

A man motivated to create a free health clinic by his own heart scare has urged others to "be brave" and get checked out.

Jeremy Schwartz, from Oxted, Surrey, said he was warned last September that he would die of a heart attack if he continued with plans to climb a mountain in Nepal.

The 63-year-old, who had surgery the following month, said the experience made him determined to facilitate a free clinic at the Oxted Health Centre for other men in his age group.

"The thing that I have discovered through this is that a person can seem healthy on the outside, but inside, they are at risk," he said.

According to the British Heart Foundation, cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks, causes 26% of all deaths in the UK.

Men are especially vulnerable to other forms of cardiovascular disease, according to Dr David Hill, senior partner at Oxted Health Centre.

"Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death amongst men in the UK, with around one in eight men dying from coronary heart disease," Hill said.

"One of the challenges is that many cardiovascular conditions can develop quietly over time, often without obvious symptoms in the early stages.

"Men are also statistically less likely to attend routine health appointments or seek medical advice early."

Schwartz said that he was very aware of the "reputation" for not getting checked out when creating this clinic.

He has created a partnership that will see a free clinic held for men aged between 40 to 70 who are registered at the Oxted surgery.

It will be attended by specialists from the Cleveland Clinic London, who performed his surgery.

Hill said that he had been "really encouraged by the level of interest and engagement so far", adding that there was "clearly growing awareness around preventative healthcare generally".

For Schwartz, the message is simple: "Don't die before your time."

The free clinic will be held on Saturday from 09:00 BST to15:00.

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