Are You at Risk?

Expert Author
Joseph Freedman Cardiologist Cape Coral, FL

Dr. Joseph Freedman has many years of experience as a cutting-edge cardiologist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac diseases. Dr. Freedman was trained at the well-known Cleveland Clinic, which has been continuously ranked as #1 in Cardiovascular Care, where he focused on cardiac imaging.... more

After the age of twenty, our vascular systems start to accumulate plaque. Tiny plaque deposits may embed themselves into our vascular structure. Over time, this plaque can buildup and cause the hardening of the arteries. This blocks oxygen-rich blood from reaching our hearts and may cause clots to form or break off. 

If we fail to put our health first, we will likely be in danger of issues such as stroke, heart disease, or sudden cardiac arrest. People who have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of vascular disorders, are at a higher risk. If you smoke, drink excessive alcohol, regularly eat junk food, or are sedentary, your risk factors are elevated. 

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you have the risk factors associated with heart disease, and are you at risk for a heart attack?

The American Heart Association describes a heart attack as, "Your heart muscle needs oxygen to survive. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood flow can slowly become narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis. When a plaque in a heart artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block the blood flow through the heart muscle."

"When the heart muscle is starved of oxygen and nutrients, it is called ischemia. When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it is called a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). About every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a myocardial infarction (heart attack). 

Heart Attack Symptoms:

If you have any of the abovementioned symptoms, please call 911. The sooner you are treated, the better you chance of survival. Over 325,000 people will experience a  sudden cardiac arrest per year. It is the number one cause of death in the United States. This leaves about 90 percent of its victims deceased. Unlike cardiac arrest (heart attack), where a portion of the heart stops due to a blockage, in the case of sudden cardiac arrest, it's not a blockage problem, it's an electrical stimulation problem. If defibrillation is not administered right away, the likelihood of surviving is low. A defibrillator sends an electric shock to the heart that stops the heart's ventricle fibrillation (irregular arrhythmia). So, the heart can start beating and pumping normally again. 

If someone experiences a sudden cardiac arrest and an AED is not available, CPR should be used until defibrillation can be applied. This is why public places like airports, sports venues, shopping centers, hotels, and others have AED machines. The AED's can detect whether or not the person is suffering from a serious arrhythmia, and can send a shock to the heart if needed. This prevents a person from making a mistake and mistakenly thinking that someone who fainted is suffering from a life-threatening case of sudden cardiac arrest. AED's are easy to use, but the context in which they are used is serious. Sometimes AED's are not used quickly enough. 

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Symptoms:

At Cardiac Care Group, your symptoms are taken seriously, they will be prepared to see you and discuss your options. They specialize in providing a wide range of services that focus on prevention, diagnosis, and state-of-the-art treatment of cardiovascular disease. 

Joseph Freedman, MD

Dr. Joseph Freedman has many years of experience as a cutting-edge cardiologist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac diseases. Dr. Freedman was trained at the well-known Cleveland Clinic, which has been continuously ranked as #1 in Cardiovascular Care, where he focused on cardiac imaging. He has five board certifications in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Comprehensive Adult ECHO, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiac CT. During Dr. Freedman's tenure as the lead noninvasive cardiologist at Florida Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale, he helped lead the hospital to achieve Level 5 chest pain certification. This is the highest designation of cardiac excellence.