Congress has Agreed:

Congressional Bill #106 Title IV "Cardiac Arrest Survival"

states the following findings accepted by the United States Congress.

(1) Over 700 lives are lost every day to sudden

(2) Two out of every three sudden cardiac deaths

(3) More than 95 percent of these cardiac arrest

 occur before a victim can reach a hospital.victims will die, many because of lack of readily available life saving medical equipment.

(4) With current medical technology, up to percent of cardiac arrest victims could be saved if victims had access to immediate medical response, including defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(5) Once a victim has suffered a cardiac arrest,every minute that passes before returning the heart to a normal rhythm decreases the chance of survival by 10 percent. (6) Most cardiac arrests are caused by abnormal heart rhythms called ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions, causing a chaotic rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping oxygen to the victim's brain and body.

(7) Communities that have implemented programs ensuring widespread public access to defibrillators, combined with appropriate training, maintenance, and coordination with local emergency medical systems, have dramatically improved the survival rates from cardiac arrest.(8) Automated external defibrillator devices have been demonstrated to be safe and effective, even when used by lay people, since the devices are designed not

to allow a user to administer a shock until after the device has analyzed a victim's heart rhythm and determined that an electric shock is required.

(10) Limiting the liability of Good Samaritans

and acquirers of automated external defibrillator devices in emergency situations may encourage the use of automated external defibrillator devices, and result in saved lives.

(Emphasis mine.)

 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-106hr2498eas/pdf/BILLS-106hr2498eas.pdf

(9) Increasing public awareness regarding automated external defibrillator devices and encouraging their use in Federal buildings will greatly facilitate their adoption.cardiac arrest in the United States alone.

Simple Device Saves Lives

According to a study by Pila Martinez of the University of Arizona, almost 75% of people who receive defibrillation within the first 3 minutes after a heart attack survived their heart attack. That is opposed to only 50% of those who received treatment after the 3 minutes.

America is seeing a widening trend in laws that are mandating the provision in AED defibrillators in public places. Studies have already proven the effectiveness of these devises. It’s only going to be a matter of time until they are considered a regular part of a company’s first response or first aid.

Approved by Governor Crist, and effective July 1, 2011 house bill No. 945 requires that assistedliving facilities with 17 or more beds must have a defibrillator on site.

All one has to do is search on the web for stories where on site defibrillators have saved the lives of young and old alike. For the small financial investment that these defibrillators suggest, it is a small price to pay to be able to save the life of one person. 
 http://www.defibrillatoroutlet.com/

The Difference

We've all heard of someone that we know or love having a 'heart attack' or that someone has suffered 'cardiac arrest'. But there is a great difference as to what these terms mean.

A Heart Attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when a coronary artery becomes suddenly blocked. This blockage prevents blood flow to the heart, and an affected area of the heart muscle dies.

Cardiac Arrest, or  ventricular fibrillation is caused by sudden heart arrhythmia (arrhythmia is confused, erratic heart rhythm). During cardiac arrest the electrical currents that trigger each heart beat become completely chaotic. These  electrical currents control the rhythm and organization of the heartbeats, and when they become completely incomprehensible, the heart stops.

A Heart Attack can be treated with medication and sometimes surgery may be required to open the blocked artery.

Cardiac Arrest should be treated with immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and, as soon as possible, to deliver a large electrical shock to the heart with a device called a "defibrillator." The large shock allows the heart's electrical signal to reorganize itself, and the heart starts beating again. Unfortunately, because death occurs within a few minutes of cardiac arrest unless expert help is available, the large majority of individuals who suffer cardiac arrest are not successfully resuscitated.

In the past, most Cardiac Arrest victims have been lost. But due to tremendous advances in this field On-Site Defibrillators are now available to the public. The leading provider of this technology is the Phillips company.
http://www.defibrillatoroutlet.com/

If a loved one has recently died, especially suddenly, or if you know of a close family member that has suffered a Heart Attack or Cardiac Arrest, it is important that you find out as much about their health history as you can. Your own risk or a heart attack or cardiac arrest may be higher if a close relative has experienced these things. Ask their doctor to speak with you in detail about these matters. Because, IT MATTERS!

Women & Heart Health

Women spend their lives taking care of others. But when you think about it, by taking care of yourself, you are taking care of others... ensuring that you will be able to continue to fulfill your vital role in their lives.

71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like the flu - often with no chest pain at all. Medical professionals are challenged to respond to women's milder symptoms, acting with insufficient guidelines.

Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.

Men's plaque distributes in clumps whereas women’s distributes more evenly throughout artery walls. This results in women's angiographic studies being misinterpreted as “normal”.

Women wait longer than men to go to an emergency room when having a heart attack and physicians are slower to recognize the presence of heart attacks in women because “characteristic” patterns of chest pain and EKG changes are less frequently present.

Women & Heart Disease

So, You're at the Peek of Health!

I was speaking to a friend the other day, and she was explaining that her and her husband were updating their wills.
Now they are both in their 50's and in relatively good health. I knew there was more to this story.
It turns out that about 9 months ago an associate of hers at the VA hospital went home sick with a headache and backache. She thought she was coming down with the flu.
She got home, and tried everything to gain relief from these symptoms. On her way home, she called and stopped by her doctors, to make sure that everything was all right. He saw her, could not diagnose her symptoms, and sent her home with a mild pain medication for her back, in case she needed it.
That evening she died of a massive heart attack.
She was in peek health. She even went to the doctor.
They both did not consider the fact that her family has a history of heart disease.

So often women exclude themselves from suspicion of heart disease. Our culture used to be one where mostly the men worked high stress jobs, or physical jobs. But that is not the case any more, and one cannot ignore recent statistics that show that:

• Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart disease each year, accounting for a third of all deaths in women. Three million women die from stroke each year. Stroke accounts for more deaths among women than men (11% vs 8.4%) with additional risk for CHD unique to women related to oral contraceptive use in combination with smoking.
• 8 million women in the US are currently living with heart disease; 35,000 are under age of 65. Four million suffer from angina.
• 435,000 American women have heart attacks annually; 83,000 are under age 65; 35,000 are under 55. The average: 70.4.
• 42% of women who have heart attacks die within 1 year, compared to 24% of men.
• Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.
• 
  
  267,000 women die each year from heart attacks, which kill six times as many women as breast cancer. Another 31, 837 women die each year of congestive heart failure, representing 62.6% of all heart failure deaths.

http://www.womensheart.org/content/HeartDisease/heart_disease_facts.asp

Blood Tests for Heart Disease - II

 Lipoprotein (a)

Lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a), is a type of LDL cholesterol. Your Lp(a) level is determined by your genes and isn't generally affected by lifestyle.
High levels of Lp(a) may be a sign of increased risk of heart disease, though it's not clear how much risk. Your doctor might order an Lp(a) test if you already have atherosclerosis or heart disease but appear to have otherwise normal cholesterol levels.
Lp(a) is often tested if you have a family history of early-onset heart disease or sudden death. It should also be tested if your LDL cholesterol doesn't respond well to drug treatment.

Natriuretic peptides
Brain natriuretic peptide, also called B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), is a protein that your heart and blood vessels produce. BNP helps your body eliminate fluids, relaxes blood vessels and funnels sodium into your urine.
When your heart is damaged, your body secretes high levels of BNP into your bloodstream to try to ease the strain on your heart. BNP levels may also rise if you have new or increasing chest pain (unstable angina) or after a heart attack.
A high level of BNP alone isn't enough to diagnose a heart problem. Your doctor will also consider your risk factors and other blood test results.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/HB00016

Blood Tests

BLOOD TESTS FOR HEART DISEASE - I

C-reactive protein C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein your liver produces as part of your body's response to injury or infection (inflammatory response).

Fibrinogen is a protein that helps your blood to clot. But too much Fibrinogen can cause a clot in an artery. A normal fibrinogen level is considered to be between 200 and 400 milligrams per liter (mg/L).

Homocysteine is a substance your body uses to make protein and to build and maintain tissue. But too much homocysteine may increase your risk of stroke, certain types of heart disease, and disease of the blood vessels of the arms, legs and feet (peripheral artery disease). Your doctor may check your homocysteine level if you've had cardiovascular problems but don't have any of the traditional risk factors, such as smoking.

A cholesterol test , also called a lipid panel. The test usually includes:

Total cholesterol: the sum of your blood’s cholesterol.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: also called “bad” cholesterol. Too much of this type of cholesterol can can allow fatty deposits (plaques) to accumulate in your arteries.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: often called “good” cholesterol, because this cholesterol helps to carry away LDL cholesterol and increase blood flow.

Triglycerides:  are a type of fat in the blood. A high amount of triglycerides indicates that you routinesly eat more calories than you burn off, and are at risk for heart disease.