80 Million Americans With Heart Disease; 1.26 Million Heart Attacks A Year – What To Do In A Crisis

THIS ARTICLE PUBLISHED NOV 30 ON GOOGLE NEWS TOP STORIES OF THE DAY

Cardiovascular Disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States.  At present, 80 million or 1 in 3 Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular (heart) disease.  Statistics from the American Heart Association suggest that heart disease is currently the cause of 1 out of every 2.8 deaths.  Estimates for the year 2006 gave the breakdown for that year as follows - In 2006, among those who had heart disease, approximately 73.6 million suffered from high blood pressure, 16.8 million had coronary artery disease (i.e. had experienced an acute heart attack or had active angina or chest pain), 6.5 million had dealt with a stroke, and 5.7 million had experienced heart failure.  

As a research scientist who speaks frequently on chronic disease prevention, I am often asked two recurring questions when I present statistics to my audience(s) on any chronic disease: 1) Why do we need all these numbers – Isn’t this “stuff” just for the academics?, and 2) What does this have to do with me? – Do these numbers really represent me (or should they matter to me) as an individual?  Here are my answers to the above two questions: 1) No, this “stuff” is  NEITHER just academic, NOR is it just for the academics, and 2) Yes, these numbers DO represent you, and include you as an individual – and, they do matter.  Here’s why.

WHEN ACADEMIA MEETS REAL LIFE

Two weeks ago on the morning of November 13, my dear father passed away unexpectedly and very suddenly as a result of an acute, catastrophic, fatal heart failure.  Being a heart patient, he had been on the standard set of drugs that are given to all patients in his situation.  Yet, notwithstanding the beneficial effects of these drugs, he still endured a fatal cardiac arrest without any warning or prior symptoms of an impending problem.  In fact, quite surprisingly, even a minute or two before his demise, he was talking normally and appeared symptom free.   The sudden and unexpected nature of his death has prompted me to write this post for the benefit of those who might find themselves in the midst of a similar crisis.  Given the heart disease statistics cited above, chances are not just high, but indeed very high that you may at some point find yourself facing a similar crisis (either as a patient or a caregiver).   If you happen to be in the position of a caregiver, carefully read the following protocol, as it may quite possibly save someone’s life. 

STEPS THAT CAN SAVE A LIFE DURING AN ACUTE CARDIAC CRISIS

1.  The very first moment you suspect that there may be a serious cardiac emergency at hand, call 911. 

2.  If the patient is at all responsive and able to swallow, give him/her a standard Aspirin tablet (325 mg),  or if a medication such as Nitroglycerin has been previously prescribed for the patient, give the patient the doctor recommended dose sublingually.

3.  If the patient is unresponsive and has collapsed, do not panic.  After calling 911, immediately administer CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) – CPR can be “Hands-only” or involve both chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (Links on learning how to do this below).  When an adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, his or her survival depends greatly on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby.  Unfortunately, most bystanders – in either fear or ignorance – do nothing to help a patient in such a situation due to fear of making the situation worse.  In doing nothing, they make the worst decision of all.   The data suggests that only 1/3rd of individuals in a cardiac arrest situation at home, work, or in a public place are able to receive immediate and potentially life-saving CPR. 

LEARNING HOW TO DO CPR

Most adults have not attended a formal CPR class or course, and many of them feel that they do not have the time to attend such a course.   To address that problem, here are two links that provide a brief video demonstration of the correct way to administer CPR.  These videos are a “must-see” for all who desire to be equipped with the ability to administer CPR should a cardiac emergency arise:

1.  Two Steps to Save a Life – Learn How to do “Hands-Only” CPR

2.  Learn CPR – Video Demonstration of Standard CPR for Adults

This year an estimated 1.26 million Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack.  Thousands of others will have sudden heart failure.   Statistics suggest that greater than 300,000 people die each year of a heart attack either at home or in the emergency room without being hospitalized.  Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest, usually resulting from ventricular fibrillation.  A great many of these deaths can be prevented if prompt CPR is performed on the patient, or if both medication and CPR are administered immediately. 

There is no doubt that when we read statistics on a particular disease, or even thoughtfully written research-based articles on disease prevention,  it can all seem very academic, in fact, even very impersonal.  But, to all reading this – the very purpose of academic work, especially in the field of Medicine is to benefit, serve, and whenever possible, save lives.  When academia meets real life, when your loved one is the one in a crisis or when you are –  academic knowledge suddenly seems very important and personally relevant.

Please take the time to view the links and resources in this post – ahead of the time when you just might need them to save someone’s life.  And, please also forward the post to others whom it may benefit.  “Later on,” maybe  just too late. 

RESOURCES:

American Heart Association Heart Hub for Patients

AHA Video Library on Heart Disease and Stroke

Learn CPR – Video Demonstration of Standard CPR for Adults