Beverly Hills Courier: Is it Atrial Fibrillation, a Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
The Beverly Hills Courier recently featured an article by Smidt Heart Institute experts Christine Albert, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Cardiology and the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology; and Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the Center for Cardiac Arrest Prevention and the Pauline and Harold Price Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, about the warning signs of three serious cardiac conditions: atrial fibrillation (AFib), heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest.
Albert and Chugh wrote that AFib is the most common type of abnormal heartbeat, affecting more than 2.7 million people in the U.S.
“Sometimes AFib has no symptoms, but in most instances, it is characterized by shortness of breath, racing heartbeat, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness or fainting,” Albert and Chugh wrote in the Beverly Hills Courier.
With a heart attack, they wrote, the symptoms can differ depending on gender.
“Men tend to feel more ‘traditional’ symptoms of a heart attack, including pain in the middle of the chest that can spread to the back, jaw or arms,” they wrote. “Heart attack symptoms in women tend to be more subtle and include indigestion, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. Often, these symptoms will be attributed incorrectly to heartburn, overeating, stress or musculoskeletal pain.”
Sudden cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops beating. It can quickly lead to death if it’s not treated.
Albert and Chugh advised staying heart healthy by eating nutritious foods, prioritizing physical activity, not smoking and keeping stress and blood pressure in check.
“We also recommend seeking care from a cardiologist annually, who can monitor your heart health and flag issues as they arise,” they wrote.
Click here to read the complete article from the Beverly Hills Courier.