Part 3 of 4 – Heart Health Myths and Real Facts by Dr Harshad Sanghvi, Medical Director, ICC Lifestyle Program
As part of our “Health and Wellness Awareness – Education with a purpose” series, we plan to publish every Friday in February two Heart Health Myths and real facts to debunk the myths by Dr. Sanghvi, MD, FACC, experienced Cardiologist and ICC’s Lifestyle Program’s Director of Health.
We hope you will read and reflect on the facts surrounding heart disease and more importantly, act on improving your heart health.
This Friday February 17th, we are publishing two additional Myths and real facts behind them.
Myth#5 – Cardiac arrest is same as Heart attack:
Fact: Heart attack is not the same as a Cardiac arrest. A heart attack and a cardiac arrest are both emergency situations, but different.
Heart attack is a circulation problem. A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries is completely blocked, shutting off the vital blood supply to the heart muscle. If left untreated, the heart muscle begins to die because it is not getting oxygen resulting in a scar. The person will probably be conscious and breathing with some symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath and/or sweating. If treated promptly with thrombolytics (blood clot dissolving drug), we can prevent or minimize heart damage. You should call 911 and keep them calm.
Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. A cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart stops beating resulting in no blood getting pumped out of the heart causing sudden collapse, loss of consciousness and absent breathing. Cardiac arrest happens because of dangerous heart rhythm. It’s true that many cardiac arrests can occur in adults because of heart attacks, but they can also occur related to primary heart rhythm problems without heart attack. You should call 911 and start CPR. When cardiac arrest does occur, rapid treatment with a medical device called an automated external defibrillator (AED) can be lifesaving. An AED is a type of computerized defibrillator that automatically analyzes the heart rhythm in people who are experiencing cardiac arrest. When appropriate, it delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm.
Myth#6 – Heart failure means that the heart stops beating.
Fact: Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped beating.
Heart failure means that the heart keeps working, but it does not pump blood as well as it should because of weakened or damaged heart muscle (systolic heart failure) or because it is too stiff (diastolic heart failure). This results in fluid backing up in the lungs causing shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing (left-sided heart failure) or in the legs causing swelling of the ankles and feet (right-sided heart failure). Heart failure can develop suddenly or slowly over a period of months or years. The most common reason is that your heart muscle has been damaged, for example after a heart attack. But it can also happen after a long standing high BP condition, faulty heart valves, cardiomyopathy, alcohol abuse, abnormal heart rhythm, diabetes, or use of certain medications.
On the contrary, Cardiac arrest means that the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly. This means that blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs resulting in unconsciousness and absent breathing. Cardiac arrests happen because of dangerous heart rhythms. In such a situation a person can die within minutes if untreated. Using a defibrillator for a sudden cardiac arrest can be lifesaving.
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ICC as a consortium partner of South Asian Heart Center is offering a proven program with documented results to South Asians in New England area. Over 128 community members from New England area have already joined the program and have benefited from it. South Asian Heart Center has been offering this program for the past 12 years and the evidence they have collected makes it clear that besides medical care, these risks and conditions can be improved by Lifestyle changes. To be effective these programs need to be culturally tailored, evidence-based and sustainable. To learn more about this program, benefits and participants testimonials, please visit – https://ouricc.org/lifestyle-program/
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