What is heart disease?

Heart disease - also called cardiovascular disease - is a simple term used to describe several problems related to plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. As the plaque builds up, the arteries narrow, making it more difficult for blood to flow and creating a risk for heart attack or stroke.

What is a heart attack?

Your heart muscle needs oxygen to survive. A coronary attack (heart attack) occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly become thicker and harder from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis. When a plaque in a heart artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block the artery and shut off blood flow to the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is starved for oxygen and nutrients, it is called ischemia. When damage or death of part of the heart muscle occurs as a result of ischemia, it is called a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI). About every 34 seconds, someone in the United States has an MI. 

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense - the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• 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.
• Discomfort 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 with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Understand Your Risk of Heart Attack

Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

• Major risk factors are those that research has shown significantly increase the risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease.
• Contributing risk factors
• Other factors are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but their significance and prevalence haven't yet been precisely determined.
• Modifiable risk factors
• The American Heart Association has identified several risk factors. Some of them can be modified, treated or controlled, and some can't.
• Risk calculations

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Also, the greater the level of each risk factor, the greater the risk. For example, a person with a total cholesterol of 300 mg/dL has a greater risk than someone with a total cholesterol of 245 mg/dL, even though everyone with a total cholesterol greater than 240 is considered high-risk.

Assess your risk of having a heart attack or dying from coronary heart disease in the next 10 years with the Heart Attack Risk Calculator.

Every two weeks, a child dies when a television or a piece of furniture falls on him.

In the incidents recorded by the Consumer Product Safety Community (CPSC), toddlers were often climbing on entertainment units, dressers, bookcases or other pieces of furniture to reach the television. In some cases, this led to a TV or a piece of furniture falling onto and crushing the child.

These incidents are tragic - and preventable. You can easily safeguard your house by doing the following:

• Make sure that your furniture is stable.
• Install an anchor on all entertainment units, TV stands, bookcases, shelving, and dressers. Attach the anchor to the wall or floor.
• Place televisions on sturdy furniture appropriate for the size of the TV or on a low-rise base.
• Push the TV as far back as possible from the front of its stand.
• Remove items such as toys and remote controls from the top of the TV and furniture. These items may tempt children to climb.
• Place electrical cords out of a child's reach and teach children not to play with the cords.

Between 2000 and 2008, CPSC received reports of nearly 200 deaths to children eight years old and younger from TVs, furniture and appliances falling on them. More than 16,000 children five years old and younger are treated in emergency rooms each year because of injuries associated with these TV, furniture, and appliance tipovers, according to CPSC staff's most recent estimates from 2006.

Don't let your television or your furniture endanger your children. Take action now to prevent this from happening to your child.

Forwarded by Safe Kids Coalition