Understanding and Preventing Heart Disease

Prescribing Positivity series from the Office of Health Ministry, The A.M.E. Zion Church

Source: AHA: Blood pressure levels

Source: CDC: Coronary Artery Disease

Call 911 immediately if you or someone you are with is showing or experiencing these signs or symptoms. Every minute is vital to help prevent brain function loss from a stroke.

Source: AHA: Stroke symptoms

Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2024 11:35 am

What are some signs/symptoms of a heart attack or heart failure?

Some people may not know they have heart disease. It may be ‘silent’. Some people may not get diagnosed until they have a heart attack, arrhythmia(palpitations) or heart failure.

• Symptoms of Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

• Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).

• Symptoms of Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.

If you or someone you are with is experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, call 911 immediately. Do not wait to call.

Know your numbers…

Know your numbers! If you already have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, start working on controlling them and lowering your risk of heart disease.

Make sure you know your numbers:

- What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean

- What do your blood pressure numbers mean?

- your diabetes numbers. Tests for Diagnosing and Monitoring Diabetes

Work with your healthcare provider to get your numbers under control and take your medicines as prescribed.

By Yabo Beysolow, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Health Ministry

What is the function of our heart?

The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around our body as it beats. The blood carries oxygen and nutrition to all the parts of our bodies. Blood also carries away things that we do not want or need in our bodies (waste products).
Your heart also regulates your blood pressure. It is vital to have a healthy heart to ensure that all our organs and body parts work correctly.

What is heart disease?

Like any other part of your body, your heart can become injured or diseased.

Many heart conditions can be called ‘heart disease’. One condition you may hear about most often is called coronary artery disease (CDC: Coronary Artery Disease), which can lead to heart attacks.

Coronary artery disease occurs when there is a buildup of plaque (cholesterol and other substances) in the walls of the blood vessels (arteries) that carry blood to the heart. This plaque buildup causes the inside of these arteries to get narrower over time, and this can lead to a partial or total block of blood flow through the arteries.

What happens when blood flow is blocked, and the blood does not get to where it is supposed to?

If blood flow is blocked to a muscle, all the nutrition and oxygen the blood is carrying to that muscle does not get there. Then, the muscle becomes injured. The heart is a muscle. When blood flow does not get to the heart like it should, it can lead to a heart attack or heart failure.

What puts someone at risk for heart disease:

Having the following conditions:

High blood pressure (hypertension)
High blood cholesterol
Diabetes
Being overweight or obese

Making the following lifestyle choices:

Having an unhealthy diet
Not being physically active, not exercising
Drinking alcohol excessively

What can I do to prevent heart disease?

Choose to make healthy, positive lifestyle changes!

Choosing healthy foods and drinks
Maintaining a healthy weight
Exercising regularly
Not smoking
Managing your stress levels

Always consult your healthcare provider when starting an exercise program or a new diet program.

Did you know that heart disease can present differently in men and women?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is also the leading cause of death in African Americans in the U.S. Heart attacks, and heart disease may present differently in women versus men. Women need to be alert and not ignore warning signs.

Many women may not have any symptoms of heart disease, but some may have the following symptoms when they are moving around or even when they are resting.

a dull or heavy ache or discomfort in their chests (angina)
pain in the neck, jaw or throat
pain in the upper abdomen or back

Other symptoms that women may have include feeling nauseous, vomiting, excessive tiredness (fatigue) or tiredness that will not go away.

Watch this short but essential video from Dr. E. Sanchez, American Heart Association, on how women’s symptoms may differ from what men experience when having a heart attack: https://youtu.be/io4Ovh-Q2IA.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a ‘brain attack’. Just like you can have a heart attack when the blood supply to your heart is blocked, you can suffer a stroke when the blood supply to your brain gets blocked. The brain does not get the oxygen and nutrients it needs from the blood. Brain cells die off within minutes when they do not get this oxygen. This leads to a stroke. Also, a stroke can occur when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.