Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Note: Certain symptoms may differ between men and women As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Risk factors for heart disease
Increasing age
Gender (men have a greater risk of heart attack as compared with women)
Family history, including race (children of parents with heart are more likely to develop the condition)
Cigarette smoking (can lead to coronary heart disease)
Treatment options Cardiac rehab programs usually provide education and counseling services to help heart patients increase physical fitness, reduce cardiac symptoms, improve health and reduce the risk of future heart problems, including heart attack.
Statistics for Heart Disease
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of blacks.
Research studies reveal that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African-American males and females age 20 and older.
Heart and blood vessel diseases (and all other cardiovascular diseases) claim the lives of over 100,000 blacks every year.
24 percent of non-Hispanic black men smoke, and 17.2 percent of non-Hispanic black women do. That's alarming because smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2-4 times that of nonsmokers.
More than 42.6 percent of adult non-Hispanic black males and 46.6 percent of females have high blood pressure.
Compared to whites, blacks are more likely to have high blood pressure, develop it earlier in life, and have more severe cases.
Blacks are 1.5 times more likely to die from heart disease and 1.8 times more likely to die from stroke than whites.
About 27 percent of non-Hispanic black men and about 34 percent of non-Hispanic black women aren't physically active.
Studies show that 79.6 percent of non-Hispanic black women and 67 percent of non-Hispanic black men who are age 20 or older are overweight or obese. If you have too much fat - especially in your waist area - you're at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Extra weight also is a major cause of gallstones, and it can worsen degenerative joint disease.
All that excess weight puts a severe strain on your heart.
It raises your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, and it makes you more likely to develop diabetes. That's a triple whammy that makes your overall risk even greater.
NEW! Scroll down to comment on this story.
Please click OK to confirm your comment and confirm you accept our posting rules. Note your message will be reviewed by our staff before going live.
Previous Comments:
Featured Video
The TS Interview: Dennis Aviles shares his experience with kidney health To learn more about kidney health, click here.
