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disease or gastritis, and gallbladder disease/ gallstones. Other non-cardiac discomfort might include skeletal muscle or chest wall pain.

The Link Between Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attacks

There are more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the United States. While not everyone in cardiac arrest goes on to experience a heart attack, if they are having a heart attack, the risk of cardiac arrest increases.

A certain segment of patients in cardiac arrest will be in the midst of having a heart attack, which is a known complication. A heart attack can change the muscle’s electrical activity leading to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation causing cardiac arrest.

Persons without preexisting heart disease also can have a cardiac arrest. This can occur in athletes following a chest trauma, which can disrupt the heart’s electrical system. Known as commotio cordis, the condition is recognized mostly in those playing contact sports, such as football, or sports with hard projectiles like hockey, baseball, or lacrosse.

Electrolyte disturbances, illicit drug use, or drug interactions also may trigger cardiac arrest and unstable ventricular arrhythmias.

Getting Ahead Of A Diagnosis

There are approximately 700 million people worldwide with hypertension and 200 million living with coronary disease. Roughly half of those diagnosed with hypertension are unaware they have it and of those who are treated for it, nearly half are not adequately treated.

Symptoms are usually not present until hypertension is advanced with possible end-organ disease involving the kidneys, eyes, and heart. In rare cases, patients may experience headaches or blurred vision.

Treatment for coronary disease is considered primary or secondary depending upon whether someone already had a heart attack, is diabetic, or has familial hypercholesterolemia. Aggressively treating elevated blood pressure and cholesterol is indicated to reduce risks of future cardiac events.

It is important for everyone to follow up regularly with their PCP for regular blood work, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels, especially for those at risk.

Modifying what you can control — such as getting regular exercise, abstaining from smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight — and knowing the early signs and risk factors for developing coronary artery disease and heart attack are keys to staying ahead of heart disease.