Understanding Heart Disease American Heart Association Greater Southeast Affiliate 0

Cardiovascular Diseases are Americas No. 1 Killer Nearly 33% of all deaths in the U.S. are from Cardiovascular Diseases which include: – Heart Attack – Cardiac Arrest – Stroke – High Blood Pressure – Heart Failure – Congenital Heart Defects 1

How the Heart Works 2

Heart Conditions Plumbing Problems – Coronary Arteries are “pipes” that bring blood to the heart Electrical Problems 3

Heart Attack Symptoms Chest discomfort Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness Shortness of breath 4

Cardiac Arrest Symptoms Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to gentle shaking) No normal breathing (the victim doesn’t take a normal breath when you check for several seconds) No signs of circulation (no movement or coughing) 5

Cardiac Arrest- What To Do Recognize the signs Immediately call Give CPR if you’ve been trained Use an AED if one is available 6

Risk Factors for Heart Disease Can NOT be changed: Increasing age, gender, family history of heart disease, race (African American), past heart disease or stroke. CAN be changed: Tobacco smoke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes. 7

Know Your Numbers Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg Cholesterol: – TOTAL: less than 200 mg/dL – HDL(Healthy): more than 40 mg/dL – LDL(Lousy): less than 100 mg/dL Exercise 30 minutes a day 8

9 For more information, call the American Heart Association AHA-USA STROKE