# Presentation: 132808

## Objectives

- How the heart functions
- What a heart attack is
- Heart attack warning signs
- The importance of rapid treatment for a heart attack
- What to do if warning signs happen
- How to reduce your risk of heart disease

- By the end of this session you will be better informed about:

## Heart Disease: Major Problem in the United States

- Heart disease #1 killer
- Coronary heart disease
- Major form
- Affects about 12 million Americans
- Heart attack
- 1.1 million affected each year
-  460,000 deaths
-  Half occur before reaching hospital

## How Your Heart Functions

- The heart pumps blood throughout the body.
- Blood carries oxygen and nutrients.
- Coronary arteries carry oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.

## What Is a Heart Attack?

- Blood flow through one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked.
- Heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack, develops over time as fatty deposits narrow coronary arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart.

## How Does a Heart Attack Happen?

- Coronary artery becomes blocked—usually by a clot.
- Blood flow is closed off and a heart attack begins.
- If blockage continues, parts of the heart muscle start to die.
- Heart may stop beating.

## What Stops a Heart Attack?

- Quick action and medical treatment restore blood flow and save heart muscle.
- Dead heart muscle cannot be restored.

## Importance of Rapid Treatment

- “Clot-busting” drugs break up clots, restoring  blood flow.
- Angioplasty opens artery, restoring blood flow.
- Balloon
- Stent

## Importance of Rapid Treatment

**Ideally, treatments should be given within ****1 hour after symptoms start.**
- The more heart muscle that is saved, the better the chance of survival.

## Heart Attack Warning Signs

- Chest discomfort—pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in center of chest
- Discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck,  jaw, or stomach
- Shortness of breath, may come before or  with chest discomfort
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea
- Light-headedness

## What People Expect a Heart Attack to be Like

- Crushing chest pain
- Sudden, intense, falls to the floor—like in the movies

## What Is a Heart Attack Really Like?

- Heart attacks often begin with vague symptoms that slowly intensify.
- Pain or discomfort can be relatively mild.
- Symptoms may come and go.
- Variety of symptoms may signal danger.

## Reaction to a Heart Attack

- May not be sure it is a heart attack
- May confuse with symptoms of other diseases or conditions
- May not want to believe risk
- May ignore symptoms or take a wait-and-see approach

## Delay Can Be Deadly

- Patient delay is the biggest cause of not getting care fast.
- Do not wait more than a few minutes—5 at the most—to call 9-1-1.

**9-1-1**

## Why People Delay

- Think symptoms are due to something else
- Afraid or unwilling to admit symptoms are serious
- Embarrassed about:
- “Causing a scene”
- Having a false alarm
- Do not understand need for getting to hospital fast

## Why People Do Not Call 9-1-1

- Think symptoms are not bad enough
- Unaware of benefits of using 9-1-1
- Think transporting self is faster
- Concern about embarrassment

## Heart Attacks in Women

- Women are as vulnerable as men.
- Half of all heart attack deaths are in women.
- Tend to delay longer than men in seeking help.

## Heart Attacks in Women

- Like men, may feel pain or discomfort
- Somewhat more likely to experience:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea/vomiting
- Back or jaw pain
- Tend to delay telling others about symptoms to avoid causing bother or worry

## Advantages of Calling 9-1-1

- Brings emergency personnel who can—
- Arrive fast and start medical care
- Send information to hospital emergency department before the patient’s arrival
- Restart or shock the heart if patient goes into cardiac arrest

**9-1-1**

## Seven Steps to Survival

- 1.	Learn heart attack warning signs.
- 2.	Think through your steps if warning signs occur.
- 3.	Talk with family and friends about warning signs and calling 9-1-1.
- 4.	Talk to your doctor about heart attack risk.

## Seven Steps to Survival

- 5.	Talk to doctor about what to do if warning signs occur.
- 6.	Gather important information to take to hospital.
- 7.	Call insurance plan to check on coverage.

## Controllable Risk Factors

- Cigarette smoking
- Diabetes
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Overweight/obesity
- Physical inactivity

## Non-Controllable Risk Factors

- Age
- Family history of early heart disease
- Previous heart attack or other signs of heart disease