Heart Attack and Stroke

Heart Attack and Stroke

Heart Disease Most common cause of death for both men and women Some heart disease symptoms in women may be different from those in men

What is a Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)? Blood vessels that supply the heart tissue with oxygen are blocked, generally due to atherosclerosis What is atherosclerosis? Hardening and narrowing of the arteries

Heart Attack

What is Cardiac Arrest When the heart muscle actually stops beating

Symptoms Some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest It is not always severe or even the most prominent symptom particularly in women Some people have heart attacks without chest pain

Symptoms Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort Shortness of breath Pain in one or both arms Nausea or vomiting

Symptoms Cold, sweaty skin Lightheadedness or dizziness Unusual fatigue Flu like symptoms

Symptoms in Women Women s symptoms may occur more often when women are resting, or even when they re asleep Mental stress also may trigger heart attack symptoms in women

Go Red For Women Just a Little Heart Attack

What is a Stroke Brain Attack Ischemic 80% of Strokes Clot in the artery(ies) supplying brain tissue Hemorrhagic Burst blood vessel supplying brain tissue

Stroke - #2 cause of death in the world

What is a Stroke #2 cause of death in the world Someone on the planet has a stroke every 2 seconds About 1 in 4 survivors suffers a second stroke, but it doesn t have to be that way if you reduce your risk

Symptoms Depends on which area of the brain is affected Depends on severity of the clot or ruptured blood vessel

Symptoms Numbness Trouble speaking and understanding speech Complete or partial paralysis Trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Symptoms Dizziness or confusion Pain Breathing problems

Stroke FAST Commercial

FAST Face Smile, one side should not be drooping Arms Should be able to lift both arms above their head Speech Ask them a simple question, they should be able to understand it, come up with a response, and enunciate the response Time Get them to hospital in less than 3 hours from onset of symptoms via 9-1-1

What to do if someone is having a heart attack or stroke? Call 9-1 1 Do not transport them to hospital Have them Rest comfortably Reassure them that everything will be alright

What to do if someone is having a heart attack or stroke? Aspirin for heart attack, not stroke! Aspirin thins the blood allowing it to get through if the vessel more easily if it is not fully obstructed 2 low dose or 1 uncoated ASPIRIN, no other pain reliever They are to CHEW the aspirin. Do not give for stroke. They may be having a Hemorrhagic stroke which could make things worse

Prevention Many lifestyle factors contribute to heart attack and stroke risk Some You cannot change Some are modifiable Some you have can control

Can Not Change Genetics Controllable lifestyle habits can influence the risk despite genetics Age Some 9 year olds are already developing atherosclerosis

Can Not Change Gender Women have lower risk until they hit menopause due to estrogen levels Race African Americans and Native Americans are at greater risk

Modifiable Blood Pressure High blood pressure puts a lot of exertion on your heart Cholesterol Higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) may increase your risk of heart disease.

Modifiable Diabetes Having diabetes increases your risk of heart disease Stress Bad stress increases your risk for heart disease

Modifiable Over fat Increases your risk factor for some of the other modifiable conditions More fat around the mid-section also equates to more fat around your visceral organs which increases risk of heart disease See next slide

Over-fat vs healthy weight The yellow in the picture is fat. On the over-fat individual, you can see the excess fat surrounding the visceral organs and not just under the skin

CAN Change Eating habits All healthy diets promote eating more natural foods, and limiting processed foods Exercise Health Canada recommends 150 minutes of a moderate intense level of cardio exercise per week to reduce risk of heart disease

CAN Change Smoking Smoking causes the interior walls of the arteries to roughen which increases the likelihood of the arteries becoming obstructed Drugs and prescriptions Take prescribed medications as directed by your physician

CAN Change Alcohol Max 1 drink/day for women Max 2 drinks/day for men Don t save them up for the weekend

Additional resources Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Ted Talk Jill Bolte Taylor Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuro scientist who experienced a stroke. 18 min