In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A heart attack happens when a part of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood. And the more time that passes without restoration to the blood flow, the greater the damage that can happen to the heart muscle.
Heart attacks are something to be taken very seriously, as they can be life-threatening. Would you know the symptoms? They include:
- Chest pain or discomfort.
- Feeling weak, faint or lightheaded.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain or discomfort in the back, jaw or neck.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both shoulders and arms.
- Shortness of breath.
- Unusual or unexplained tiredness.
Risk factors
If you can understand what the risk factors of a heart attack are, this can help you to be proactive in your health.
Risk factors are lifestyle habits and traits that can increase your likelihood of having a heart attack. There are some risk factors you can change and some you cannot.
According to the American Heart Association, traditional risk factors for heart attack include:
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Smoking.
Risk-enhancing factors for having a heart attack include:
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Chronic inflammatory conditions like HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
- A family history of early atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (men younger than 55 and women younger than 65).
- High cholesterol.
- Higher-than-normal triglycerides, ankle-brachial index and other lab tests.
- History of preeclampsia or early menopause.
- Metabolic syndrome.
There are some risk factors that can be changed. However, you might be born with certain risk factors that cannot be changed. The American Heart Association says when you have risk factors that cannot be changed, it’s even more important to manage those that you have control over.
Risk factors that can’t be changed are increasing age, being male and your heredity.
Risk factors that can be changed include smoking or vaping, how physically active you are, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and being obese.
Some other factors the American Heart Association says should be considered include:
- Stress. Over time, unhealthy stress responses can create health problems. It’s important to find ways to address causes of stress.
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- Sleep. Getting a good night’s rest can benefit your entire body. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours each night.
- Alcohol intake. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and risk for stroke, cancer and other diseases. Try to limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women.
- Diet and nutrition. Having a healthy diet is one of the best ways to fight cardiovascular disease. It’s important to choose nutrient-rich foods that have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients. Prioritize vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Heart attack prevention
As discussed above, there are certain lifestyle habits over which you have control. In making changes to those, that is your best way to decrease your risk of having a heart attack. This means eating a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, getting quality sleep, and not smoking or using tobacco.
In many cases, a heart attack is the first sign that you’ll ever get of heart disease because often it does not display any symptoms beforehand.
One way you can be empowered to be proactive in your heart health is taking advantage of a comprehensive exam that can help detect problems long before someone shows symptoms.
With CT technology, Advance Body Scan utilizes a fast, easy and accurate method for checking the health of your heart. Early signs of coronary artery disease can be detected using this type of heart scan. Unlike traditional diagnostic imaging that only detects large deposits, this technology can reveal even the smallest deposits.
Working closely with CT specialists, the Advanced Body Scan team has developed a sophisticated protocol that’s available for early detection. Because the scans capture multiple images a second, it can detect a wide range of heart issues, including:
- Heart attack.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Stroke.
- And more.
A heart scan will also check your heart valve calcification, heart size and pericardium.
During the noninvasive scan, which only takes a few minutes, you simply lie comfortably in the machine, which is open in design so that it doesn’t cause claustrophobia. It’s non-invasive and you don’t have to prepare in advance by fasting or stopping any medications.
After your scan is complete, a board-certified radiologist reviews the images and summarizes any additional steps you should take.
To learn more about how a heart scan can help detect various heart problems -- before symptoms arise – click or tap here.