SHOCKING figures released last week reveal 20,000 people across the Basildon Borough are suffering from heart disease.

Heart and circulatory conditions, including heart attacks and strokes, claim the lives of around 420 in the town every year.

So when Tina Preston-Strutt goes to work every day, she knows she is a making a huge difference to the lives of her patients.

Tina, 47, first became a cardiac rehabilitation physiotherapist more than a decade ago, and joined the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, based at Basildon Hospital, seven years ago.

She was keen to work in a specialist area of physiotherapy, and the role has enabled her to follow patients through their whole recovery.

Rehabilitation courses are designed to help patients who have heart disease, or who have suffered heart attacks or strokes, manage their condition and adjust to a new lifestyle.

She said: “It’s a really specialist area of physio. It’s about physical health as well as emotional wellbeing.

“We’re supporting them the whole way through recovery.

We see people at their most vulnerable.”

Tina help patients make the right choices about what food they should be eating, and what kind of exercise they should be doing.

They also support family members who are struggling to adjust and cope with their loves ones recovery process.

Tina, who lives in Romford, said: “It’s about embracing life and making the most of what you’ve got. A lot of people actually feel like they have a better quality of life because they’ve had the right treatment. I’m really passionate about what I do.”

As well as working full-time, she also dedicates a lot of her time to raising money for the British Heart Foundation- a charity which shares her beliefs.

She has raised more than £3,000 by encouraging her colleagues to wear red as part of “Wear it. Beat it” events, and sells merchandise for the charity.

She also works closely with the Basildon-based Hearts and Minds cardiac support group.

She added: “Heart disease is really broad. One particular age group or gender isn’t any more at risk then another, it can affect people who thought they were healthy.

“We’ve seen massive changes in the care and treatment of heart disease. It’s really exciting thinking about what the future could bring.

“It proves just how important the right research is, which is why I think we should all help the British Heart Foundation.”

The British Heart Foundation funds £100million of new lifesaving research every year, in the hope of finding vital treatments.

The charity is encouraging residents to get behind them by organising “Wear it. Beat it”events in February, where people are encouraged to wear red to show their support.

Since the campaign was first launched in 2009, more than £6million has been raised.

Tristam Jones, head of mass participation at the charity, said: “Every pound raised will help us change the lives of millions living with heart and circulatory conditions.”

  • The number of people with heart disease in Southend is 19,700. In Castle Point 10,800, and in Rochford 9,800.