State of the Heart

Georgians urged to learn signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke

            In 2004, cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, was the No.1 killer of Georgians, claiming the lives of 22,378 individuals and accounting for 34% of all deaths. Cardiovascular disease caused more than 145,000 hospitalizations and $3.8 billion in hospital charges in 2004. The state Department of Human Resources is encouraging Georgians to learn the signs and symptoms of heart and stroke so that they can act quickly if they experience any of these signs or symptoms.
           
            “In 2004, Georgia's cardiovascular disease death rate was 14 percent higher than the national rate," said Dr. Stuart Brown, director of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR), Division of Public Health. "This could be because of Georgia's high prevalence of preventable risk factors, such as smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes."    

            Risk factors for cardiovascular disease are extremely common among Georgians:  three-quarters of Georgia adults have at least two risk factors that they can improve, while one-in-thirteen has five or more. These risk factors are frequently due to behaviors that are learned before becoming adults. For instance, data from youth surveys show high rates of physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity, and smoking. The process of arterial narrowing can be- gin as early as the teenage years and death from blocked arteries often occurs before old age.

            Health officials say identifying the symptoms and seeking immediate medical attention is crucial in reducing the damage of heart attacks and stroke. Only 55% of Georgians were able to correctly identify all the heart attack symptoms and warning signs from a list.  Just 27% of Georgia adults correctly identified all the stroke symptoms and warning signs from a list. The symptoms and warning signs for heart attack you need to be aware of:

            Chest discomfort
            Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.  

Other discomfort

Discomfort may occur in other areas of the upper body; symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.  Shortness of breath may occur with or without chest discomfort. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

 The symptoms and warning signs for stroke are as follows: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

There are many steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.  Partner with a friend, co-worker or spouse to exercise and eat healthy.  By having a partner, you will feel more obligated to stick to your plan. Eat less fat and keep junk food out of the home. Reward yourself in other ways.  Know your family's heart history, and communicate that to your doctor or healthcare provider.  Check your blood pressure and cholesterol level.  Recognize and treat diabetes.  Stay tobacco free.

Getting checked for heart disease and other chronic diseases is an important part of the Live Healthy Georgia campaign launched by DHR, in partnership with Gov. Sonny Perdue, to encourage Georgians to Eat Healthy, Be Active, Get Checked, Be Positive and Be Smoke Free.  To learn more about Live Healthy Georgia, visit www.livehealthygeorgia.org.  To learn more about reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke, call 1-800-AHA-USA-1 (242-8721) or 1-888-4-STROKE.