Wednesday, February 28, 2001

Be kind to your heart

The American Heart Association and the Fayette County Health Department encourage you to be prepared for cardiac emergencies and know the signs of cardiac arrest.

The significance of American Heart Month is its attempt to focus attention on the significant risks that cardiovascular disease poses to the health and well being of the American public.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of American men and women. More than 60 milion Americans have one or more types of CVD.

The various forms of this disease include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction (or heart attack), angina pectoris, stroke, congenital cardiovascular defects, and congestive heart failure.

A total of 949,619 lives were claimed by this disease in the U.S. in 1998. This means that 40.6 percent or 1 of every 2.5 deaths was attributable to some form of CVD.

More than 2,600 Americans die of CVD each day an average of 1 death every 33 seconds! CVD claims almost 10,500 more lives each year than the next 6 leading causes of death combined. More than 150,000 killed by CVD are under age 65.

In 1998, of the total number of CVD deaths, 46.9 percent were male and 53.1 percent were female. (Women no longer have the luxury of believing that CVD is something that only males have to worry about!)

Since 1900, CVD has been the No. 1 killer in the U.S. every year except the year 1918.

Statistics are sometimes better understood when compared to something else. For example, the most recent CDC/NCHS computations state that if all forms of CVD were eliminated, life expectancy would increase by almost 7 years.

Now compare this to only 3 years gain in life expectancy if all forms of cancer were eliminated. This comparison brings into sharp focus how serious a threat CVD poses to each of us.

The threat is even greater for African Americans, whose estimated age-adjusted prevalence of CVD in adults is 40.5 percent for males and 39.6 percent for females, as opposed to prevalence of 30.0 percent for males and 23.8 percent for females of non-Hispanic white ethnicity.

If we are to effect any positive change in the rate at which Americans fall victim to this disease, individuals must:

Become aware of their risk factors;

Change some behaviors to reflect more healthy lifestyle choices (particularly healthy eating, exercise, and smoking cessation);

Learn the warning signs of heart attack and stroke; and

Learn CPR.

The most common warning signs of heart attack are:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.

• Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck, (jaw) or arms.

• Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath. Less common warning signs are:

• Chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain that feels abnormal for you.

• Nausea or dizziness.

• Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

• Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue.

• Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.

Stroke warning signs include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Cardiac arrest is usually sudden and dramatic. The hearts electrical impulses become erratic, and its beating becomes more of a quivering or fluttering (ventricular fibrillation), which causes the heart to stop suddenly.

During the arrest the victim loses consciousness, stops normal breathing and loses pulse and blood pressure. Drowning, electrocution, trauma, and heart attack are some of the factors that can lead to cardiac arrest, but in some cases the actual cause is unknown.

The person who has witnessed a cardiac arrest, or who is experiencing signs of impending heart attack must think and act quickly. Call 9-1-1 immediately!

As calmly as possible, state your name, your location, and state what you have witnessed, or what you are experiencing. If you are a witness, you can then go back to the victim and assist.

Lastly, be trained to administer CPR. It may seem to some that CPR is too little too late, or that it is too difficult for non-medical people to learn.

The facts are that CPR can help keep the victim who is in cardiac arrest alive until medical help arrives. It can keep blood and oxygen flowing to the brain and heart until electric shock (defibrillation) can be administered.

A person administering CPR may literally be giving the gift of life! I urge you to learn this valuable life-saving technique and consider it a gift in advance to someone you love.

The American Red Cross will be sponsoring CPR this Saturday at the Lafayette Education Center, and on that day participants will receive what is normally a $30 training absolutely free! The training takes four hours, and it is suggested that you wear comfortable clothing.

Anyone age 12 and above is encouraged to participate, and will receive a certificate upon completion of training. Stop by the Health Department and pick up a CPR Saturday flyer for more information. Or you may contact the So. Metro Service Center of the American Red Cross at: 770-961-2552.

For those who would prefer: you can register for this training online by going to www.redcross/atlanta/ and clicking on the icon for CPR Saturday.

For further information on cardiovascular disease, risk factors, disease prevention, and ways of increasing cardiovascular health, stop by the Fayette County Health Department,visit our Web site at www.fayettecountyhealthdepartment.org, or contact us by phone at 770-461-1178 ext. 5416.

*Statistics obtained from: 2001 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update, American Heart Association.

Heart-related Web sites

www.americanheart.org

www.health.gov/nhic

www.ph.dhr.state.ga.us/epi/chronic.shtml

www.healthy.net

www.cdc.gov

www.wehealny.org/index1.shtml

www.ama-assn.org

http://women.americanheart.org

http://women.americanheart.org

www.mayohealth.org/home