‘My heart had packed it’s bags and the taxi was outside’

When Today FM's Ed Smith had a heart attack last year his whole world changed.

Ed says looking back he can see he was living a life that put him at risk of having a heart attack but that he hadn't really faced into it.

Ed lost both his parents to heart attacks while they were both quite young, and says that even though he knew he was at risk he continued to smoke socially and wasn't as careful as he could have been when it came to his lifestyle.

Immediately after the heart attack Ed felt the need to speak up about what had happened so that he could help others realise how prevalent heart disease is in Ireland.

80 percent of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease are preventable by addressing risk factors and Ed wants to get the simple message of becoming heart smart out to as many people as possible.

Speaking to Dermot & Dave Ed said, ‘You’ve got to take care of your heart as well as your head’

‘If you smoke – stop, just stop it… Every cigarette you smoke is putting a minuscule layer of death into your arteries.’

Ed is urging people to get their heart checked to, 'give your heart the best possible chance.’

And this February The Irish Heart Foundation are asking you to Go Red For Women on Valentine’s day.

One in four women in Ireland will die of heart disease, and yet women tend to wait longer to get help before experiencing the first symptoms.

See how you can help at gored.ie

For Ed's full chat with Dermot & Dave press the Listen Button on this page.

Catch Dermot & Dave weekdays from 9am on Today FM.