Cardiomyopathy: Warwickshire woman urges awareness

Runner LaRisha Porter was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy

A woman has urged people to be mindful of symptoms of heart conditions following a diagnosis.

LaRisha Porter, 46, had been fit and active until 2021 when she began struggling to run and also experienced breathlessness.

She was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, which can reduce its ability to pump blood around the body.

She has encouraged other people having similar symptoms to get checked.

Charity Cardiomyopathy UK says experts believe about one in 250 people in the UK have the disease.

Ms Porter, from Hartshill in Warwickshire, said she was having difficulty sleeping, finding her head needed to be raised, and also lost her appetite and started to bloat.

After one period of breathlessness, she was taken to hospital where the condition was found.

"It's something I never heard of until I was diagnosed," she said.

LaRisha Porter has urged people with similar symptoms to get tested

Ms Porter later discovered her father had also been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, and after finding out the genetic link urged her family to get tested.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you accumulate, health is wealth, and nothing is more important than health and family," she said.

"If you know it runs in your family, you can advocate for yourself more, especially when speaking to health practitioners."

The diagnosis, Ms Porter said, was a "big hit" after being so active before, often running 7km (4.3mi) multiple times a week.

Despite taking medication, she says she is still struggles with fatigue and occasional "brain fog".

But she added she had assistance through a Cardiomyopathy UK support group, which helped her realise she was "not alone".