Cardiac arrest! Heart attack! The very words seem to shout with a sudden, out-of-the-blue urgency. And that's how most everyone has come to understand heart attacks: they hit hard, with no warning.
Read MoreMost heart attacks begin with mild symptoms. The initial feeling is a degree of discomfort that often is not described as pain. The chest discomfort may come and go, and therefore many people may not realize what is actually happening. They may think it is heart burn or indigestion. It is important to recognize when you may be having a heart attack as it could save your life.
Read MoreHeart disease includes coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. It occurs when the arteries become clogged. This happens where there is a buildup of plaque that narrows your heart's arteries, making it harder for blood to pass through. Most people don't even know they have heart disease until they have a heart attack. A common warning sign is frequent chest pain called angina.
What does a heart attack feel like?
Heart disease key statistics
· Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.
· In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Every 60 seconds, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.
· About 720,000 people in the U.S. suffer heart attacks each year. Of these, 515,000 are a first heart attack and 205,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
· It is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics and Whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is second only to cancer.
· Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually.
