CATHERINE and Iain Murray had been married for six months when she came home one evening to find him slumped on the sofa.
The medical receptionist, 34, immediately kicked into gear, calling an ambulance and performing CPR on Iain for six minutes until it arrived.
Iain and Catherine Murray – Iain died from an undiagnosed coronary heart disease just six months after they were married[/caption]
Catherine said Iain’s loss was devastating and still hurts[/caption]
But as Catherine watched paramedics fight to revive him, she knew her husband of just six months was gone.
It later emerged that Iain had died of undiagnosed coronary heart disease – when fatty substances clog up the coronary arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart over time.
Catherine and Iain had been together for 14 years, since they were teenagers, but only married in November 2022.
The newlywed couple had been due to honeymoon in Portugal the week after his death in May 2023.
Catherine, from Edinburgh, recalled how she found her husband unresponsive on the sofa when she returned home from work.
She said: “I started screaming, but I knew he was gone.
“I called an ambulance and I did CPR for about six minutes, although it felt like much longer, then paramedics arrived and worked on him for about 45 minutes, but there was nothing.”
Coronary heart disease can cause symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and pain in the neck, shoulders and arms – but some people may get no symptoms at all before being diagnosed.
Left untreated, it can eventually cause a heart attack.
According to the British Heart Foundation, 2.3 million people in the UK have the disease, which is responsible for 66,000 deaths each year.
It’s the leading cause of death in people under the age of 75, killing one in eight men and one in 14 women.
Death rates are highest in Scotland and the north of England
Catherine moved in with her late husband’s parents, Sharon and Fraser, as they sought to help each other through their grief.
She added: “We’re not a family that hides the fact that we are grieving, we wear it, and we own it.
Iain and Catherine had been together since they were teenagers[/caption]
“We cry, we talk, we are open and honest.
“If someone is having a bad day, we all rally round that person.”
Speaking ahead of World Heart Day on Monday, Catherine said the sudden loss of Iain when he was only 32 was devastating.
She now wants to spread awareness of heart disease.
It is still devastating and when I do think about it too much it physically hurts
Catherine Murray
The 34-year-old recently took part in the 21-mile Edinburgh Kiltwalk to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
But she also undertook the endeavour for her own health.
Catherine said: “I was drinking too much, eating too much, and then I realised I also don’t want to die young.
“So, I’m trying my best to look after myself.
“The bad days are less often now.
“It is still devastating and when I do think about it too much it physically hurts, but those days are getting less.
“I looked at the BHF and read about the work the charity does – we couldn’t save Iain, but we can maybe spread awareness about heart health and help other people to have better lives.”
According to BHF research, someone dies from cardiovascular disease in the UK every three minutes.
David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “The sad reality is that each week, around 350 families in Scotland will lose a loved one to cardiovascular conditions like a heart attack and stroke.
“We have seen record high numbers affected by heart diseases and cardiovascular risk factors in Scotland since the start of the decade, and cardiovascular deaths in 2023 were at their highest since 2008.
“We are determined to give people more time with their loved ones by powering an era of immense scientific opportunity to give people healthier hearts, for longer.”
It comes after a global study warned of a steep rise in deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD).
CVD is now responsible for one in three deaths worldwide, figures showed.
Meanwhile, scientists suggested that heart attacks may be triggered by infections.
Catherine recently took part in the 21-mile Edinburgh Kiltwalk to raise money for the British Heart Foundation[/caption]
