Heart disease is the most prevalent fatal disease in our country.  Sarah Stefanson tells you about the disease and how to prevent it.Heart disease or cardiovascular disease is responsible for the most deaths in Canada and puts the greatest strain on our health care system.  A victim of heart disease dies every 7 minutes in this country and we spend about $18 billion a year treating cardiovascular conditions.  With roughly 30 per cent of Canadian citizens at risk of cardiovascular disease, it is a threat we should all take very seriously.

Attack, Arrest and Atherosclerosis?

Do you know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?  A heart attack occurs when a blockage slows or stops blood flow to the heart.  In 90 per cent of cases, this blockage is caused by a build up of plaque in the arteries referred to as atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis may begin in childhood and becomes worse with age.  Severe, temporary spasms in a coronary artery may also cause heart attacks.  Cardiac arrest is a more serious condition when the heartbeat and breathing stop.  A person in this situation needs to receive medical assistance immediately.  As each minute passes, the person’s chances of survival reduce by 7 to 10 per cent.  Heart attacks are not the only cause of cardiac arrest; it can also happen due to drowning, electrocution, suffocation or drug overdose.

Warning Signs

Learning to recognize the warning signs of an impending heart attack or stroke will ensure that medical help is sought as soon as possible, increasing the chances of survival.

Common indications of an impending heart attack are:

• Pain that comes on suddenly and does not abate with rest or chest pain that occurs during exertion and goes away after resting.  Pain may occur in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, arms or back and can be described as burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure.

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Nausea, indigestion or vomiting

• Sweating or cool, clammy skin

• Fear, anxiety or denial

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately contact 911 or other emergency services, then sit or lie still.  One adult 325 mg ASA tablet (acetylsalicylic acid or Aspirin) or two 80 mg tablets may be taken if you are experiencing chest pain.  Other pain relievers such as acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) or ibuprofen (e.g. Advil) do not work the same way and will not have a positive effect.

Heart Disease and Women

Women may describe their symptoms differently than men.  For them, the pain may be less specific, but the most frequent sign is chest pain.  Until menopause, women are protected from heart attack by estrogen so post-menopausal and diabetic women are more susceptible.

Lower Your Risk

In order to lower your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, follow this advice:

Don’t Smoke:  Smoking is a major contributor to heart disease, stroke and some cancers.  It adds to the build up of plaque in your arteries, reduces oxygen in your blood, increases your risk of blood clots and raises your blood pressure, making your heart work harder.  Here’s the good news:  as early as 48 hours after you quit, your chances of having a heart attack start to go down; within a year, you are half as likely to suffer a smoking-related heart attack.

Change Your Eating Habits:  Sixty per cent of Canadians are considered overweight or obese and have a greatly increased risk of heart disease.  Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a variety of foods recommended by Canada’s Food Guide will help you reduce your chances.

Get Active:  Inactive individuals are twice as likely to suffer heart attacks, so it is important to keep yourself moving and get at least 30  minutes of exercise a day.  Look to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for tips on how to get started or keep going.

See the Doc:  You should have your blood pressure and cholesterol level checked regularly as well as testing for diabetes.  These three conditions are all major contributors to heart disease.

Lay Off the Booze:  They say red wine is good for your heart, but there is the possibility of too much of a good thing.  Keeping your alcohol intake to a minimum will help keep your heart (and the rest of your body) healthy.

Don’t Stress:  People with high stress levels often have higher cholesterol, increased blood pressure and are more likely to develop atherosclerosis.  If stress it a constant part of your life, research some relaxation techniques and think of ways to reduce the negative effects of your busy life.

There are risk factors you can’t control, of course.  These include:  age (the older you get, the more your risk increases), gender (men are slightly more likely to develop heart disease), family history (if you have an immediate family member with heart disease, your chances increase) and ethnicity (First Nations people and those of African or South Asian descent are more likely to develop high blood pressure and diabetes and, therefore, heart disease).

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healthy heart

If you are concerned about your risk factors for heart disease, start by visiting the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s website and take their Risk Assessment quiz.  It will only take a few minutes and will give you a place to start when figuring out how to lower your chances of suffering heart disease.


Sources:
Health Canada
Heart & Stroke Foundation
Public Health Agency of Canada
Heart & Stroke Foundation