Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States.
According to the American Heart Association, 40 percent of the deaths in the nation can be contributed to a heart attack, which is more than all forms of cancer combined.
American Red Cross spokesman Stephen Hall said signs of a heart attack can be sudden or gradual, and it is important to “know your body” because even a slight change can mean trouble.
“Their body will often times tell them when something is wrong,” Hall said. “Rather than trying to ignore that, we want people to seek immediate intervention. Many times we hear stories of people who are hesitant to call 911 and that is troubling to us because your health can deteriorate quickly and by not calling 911, it can lead to death or long-term disability.”
Symptoms of a heart attack include chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and then comes back, or pressure in the chest; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort; and/or a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
“It differs for every person as far as the signs and symptoms, especially for women,” Hall said. “We hear stories about jaw pain, chronic fatigue and things like that, as well as shortness of breath, pains in the chest or pain radiating down the arms, the left side in particular. These are things that should not be ignored. We want people to call 911 and be transported to a hospital as quickly as possible because it can mean the difference between life or death.”
Hall added that those who are over the age of 65 and those who have risk factors for a heart attack, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking diabetes or a family history of heart disease are not the only Americans at risk.
“We have heard of teens suffering from sudden cardiac arrest and certainly people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are impacted by heart disease,” Hall said. “We can all be impacted by cardiac arrest. There is some good news in that 80 percent of heart attacks are preventable.”
Hall explained that while there are genetic factors associated with heart disease, the majority of heart disease can be prevented.
“It’s the decisions that we make in our young adulthood, in our 20s, 30s and 40s, that impact us as we get on in life,” he said. “At any age, any positive, healthy changes can make a big impact on our heart health.”
Simple lifestyle changes, Hall continued, such as getting more exercise or eating right can add years to a person’s life.
“Every hour of vigorous exercise, we have an opportunity to add two hours to our life,” he said. “That’s a two-for-one investment in living that can begin with something as simple as walking. As that begins to be a lifestyle choice, we can begin to make other healthy choices with our diet and nutrition. We know that most Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, so we want that to be a focus of healthy eating habits.”
