Heart Attack Prevention

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A heart attack can happen at any time to anyone. Oftentimes the underlying problems leading up to a heart attack go unnoticed and undiagnosed for years before the actual event occurs. Some factors leading up to an attack can be prevented while others cannot. Many people are surprised when they have an attack and do not realize how their lifestyle choices affected their probability of having one. This summary discusses what a heart attack is, its signs and symptoms, prevention strategies, and how to provide first aid care.
According to the The Free Dictionary “A heart attack is the death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle because the supply of blood to the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.” The conditions within the body leading up to a heart attack can take years to progress to a point severe enough to cause an attack, and usually do not present any warning signs until the tragedy occurs. A heart attack is the result of increasing blockage to the coronary arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the heart. This is a gradual process that leads to coronary artery disease, which in turn can cause a heart attack once the blockage has become severe enough. A heart attack is often the first sign of coronary artery disease, and is the most common form of heart disease. A heart attack is the number one cause of death in the United States. Of the more than 1.5 million Americans who suffer through a heart attack, half a million of them do not survive. (Heart Attack, thefreedictionary.com). According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention “Every year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 190,000 happen in people who have already had a heart att...

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...de first aid to a person having an attack. Though there are risk factors that cannot be changed that are many things a person can do to improve their chances of preventing an attack and living through one. With such a high rate of heart attacks in the United States it is also extremely important to know how to provide first aid to a person who is having an attack.

Works Cited

"Heart Attack First Aid: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
"Heart Disease Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.
"Heart Attack." TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.
Responding to Emergencies Comprehensive First Aid/CPR/AED. 5th. Krames StayWell Strategic Partnerships Division, 2012. Print.

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