Residents headed to events in Bury St Edmunds this weekend are being invited to take 30 seconds to take a potentially life-saving test.

Health professionals are offering those heading to the East Anglian Beer and Cider Festival on Friday evening or Bury St Edmunds parkrun on Saturday the chance to check their heart rhythm and learn more about stroke prevention.

You only need 30 seconds to try out the Kardia Mobile AliveCor ECG device, which Eastern Academic Health Science Network is rolling out across the eastern region to improve detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) – a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, which can lead to stroke.

On behalf of the stroke prevention team at West Suffolk CCG, Claire Jay, programme lead said: “We invite you to visit the Upbeat stand at the Beer Festival and the My WiSH Charity stand at parkrun: please take the opportunity to pop over for a quick chat with the team from West Suffolk Hospital and get an ECG check.

“No appointment needed, plus it’s a free test which will only take 30 seconds, and it could save your life! Help spread the word about irregular heart rhythms and encourage your friends and family – particularly those aged over 65 years – to check their pulse and see a GP if it is irregular. Pulse checks are easy to do yourself.”