You might be under the impression that only the elderly suffer heart problems.

This is a misconception. Mrs. Erica Pontes medical administrator for cardiologist Dr. John Doherty said typically patients range in age from their early thirties to their nineties.

“We have a number of patients in the 30-year age group,” she said.

“We usually see at least one every week.”

Most of these younger patients have irregular heartbeats or rhythms.

“We have a 27-year-old patient with an arrhythmia problem,” she said.

The majority of patients are booked in for stress tests. “The number varies but we usually have between three and four a day but we may have as many as ten,” said Mrs. Pontes.

They are referred from their general practitioners and some from the anaesthetists who in many surgical cases want to be sure their hearts are strong enough for the surgery.

Dr. Doherty has on average two patient consultations a day. These are people who have done poorly on the stress test or patients who have had treatment.

Dr. Doherty sees patients pre and post operative, at three months and six months.

He also sees those who don’t need immediate intervention and monitors their conditions.”

In addition to seeing local patients, Mrs. Pontes said she fields several calls each year from tourists.

“Usually cruise ship passengers,” she said. “They have a concerned relative who calls to verify that should their elderly aunt have trouble with her heart, there is a qualified cardiologist on the island.”