Before finding out he had a heart rhythm disorder, former Wales rugby star Alun Wyn Jones had questioned whether he might have chronic fatigue.
Swansea-born Jones, 38 – who was Wales’ most capped player before retiring last year, with a record-breaking 158 appearances for the team – had been more exhausted than usual, but ultimately dismissed it as just being “part and parcel” of his training regime at the time.
It was a routine medical last July, during which Jones had an ECG (a test that records the heart’s electrical activity), that finally revealed what was really going on. The rugby ace – who won three Grand Slams during his career with Wales and also played for British & Irish Lions and Ospreys, as well as a brief stint with Toulon before retiring completely in November – became one of the 1.4 million people in the UK diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), which causes a fast, irregular heart rate, meaning blood doesn’t get pumped as effectively.
Jones recalls: “We had questioned whether I had chronic fatigue or something like that. But with the nature of sport and the intensity of training, coupled with my age, we probably dismissed it really. A lot of things [I’d noticed] we probably pooh-poohed, because some of the symptoms can feel like anything from having too much caffeine, to indigestion and regular fatigue.
“But it was interesting – there’s so many things that can go wrong with the human body, you can sort of take your pick sometimes, but [AF] would probably have been the one of the last things I would have thought of. It was a bit of an eye-opener.”
According to the British Heart Foundation, AF is the most common form of arrhythmia and happens due to electrical signals in the heart’s top chambers (atria) not being sent out properly. Palpitations with a fast, irregular pulse are the main symptom, which can occur in short bursts or be persistent, along with tiredness, increased difficulty exercising, breathlessness, dizziness and chest pain. While Jones admits being told he had a heart issue was “one of the last things” he’d expected to hear, looking back, it did “join a lot of dots”.
AF symptoms can range from mild to debilitating, but there are treatments and the condition can be managed. This is especially important as the condition is a major risk factor for stroke (around 20% of strokes are caused by AF, according to the Stroke Association). Yet, it’s believed thousands of people have undetected AF – which is one of the reasons Jones is sharing his story.
The father-of-three (he and wife Anwen, a physiology and health lecturer, have three daughters aged eight, six and one) has partnered with medical tech company AliveCor to launch the ‘Let’s Talk Rhythm’ campaign, with the aim of raising awareness of AF and the importance of getting things checked.
Despite his diagnosis being unexpected, Jones now feels it “has actually been a positive thing”, because it means he can “keep an eye on it” and was able to take steps to treat it early. “The early diagnosis has been hugely important to me. The earlier you get diagnosed, the safer you are, so awareness is huge.”
Jones had surgery last November to correct his AF (other treatments can include medication, while some people may need a pacemaker). However, the problem can reoccur, so he still keeps a check on things and monitors his heart rate with a KardiaMobile – the first personal ECG to be recommended by NICE for use within the NHS in England and Wales. Detecting arrhythmias can sometimes pose a challenge for doctors, as the abnormal heart rates can come and go, so capturing them may take some time.
KardiaMobile devices are also available to purchase (stockists include the AliveCor website, Boots and Amazon, from £99) – which is what Anwen did after her husband’s diagnosis.
Jones now looks at this as an “extra piece of knowledge” about his body and how he needs to take care of himself. “My wife’s from a sporting background as well, so we always understood health and we’ve always been diligent,” he says. “It’s funny, when you come out the other side [of professional sports], your priorities change from a performance element, but they shouldn’t from a health element, and we’re very conscious about that.”
It has opened his eyes to the importance of not ignoring if something doesn’t feel quite right though – a message he’s keen to highlight as it’s believed thousands of people have AF but haven’t been diagnosed. And Jones knows how easy it is to put off getting things checked.
“Men are notorious, whether it’s the dentist, the GP, routine check-ups – they put it off, put it off, put it off,” he says. “But I can’t stress enough that [AF] is manageable, from what I’ve learned in the past 12 months.”
Why some people develop AF isn’t always clear but there can be hereditary factors, and damage to the heart is one of the main causes, from things such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cardiomyopathy, diabetes and stress. It also gets much more common with age. But it can potentially affect anyone – including men who do a lot of exercise, like Jones, who was still playing rugby when his symptoms started.
“One of the first things I was told was that [AF] is synonymous with triathletes and rowers. So, larger males that have a lot of cardiovascular output,” he says. “I’m not saying they’re the only demographic, but that is a very stereotypical demographic that it affects.”
Read more on Alun Wyn Jones’ story and receive a 10% discount on Kardia devices with the code AWJ10 at alivecor.co.uk/letstalkrhythm
