Facts about heart disease
• 1.2 million Americans are affected each year.
• There are 4,100 heart attacks per day.
• 800,000 Americans die from a heart attack
each year.
• Half occur before reaching the ER.
Teaching Our Community to
SAVE LIVES
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For HeartSafe training information,
please visit our website at:
www.HOAHeartSafe.org
What is HeartSafe?
HeartSafe is a public health initiative to increase the
chance of survival for those who experience sudden,
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or heart attack.
When the heart suddenly stops, survival depends upon
immediate lifesaving interventions. HeartSafe aims to
improve the odds of survival by training residents to:
• Check for response
•
•
Chest discomfort or pressure
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body,
including pain or discomfort in one or both arms,
the back, neck, jay or stomach
• Shortness of breath, which may occur
with or without chest discomfort
• Cold sweat, nausea/vomiting and lightheadedness
Warning signs for women may be different. Women
are more likely to experience:
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Back or jaw pain
• Call 911
• Administer hands-only CPR
Compress 100 times a minute
If you or someone you’re with is experiencing any of
These symptoms, call 911. Delay can be deadly.
Heart attack victims
THREE STEPS TO SAVE A LIFE:
• M a y n o t realize they are having a heart attack
• May confuse the symptoms with other
conditions or diseases
• May not think symptoms are “bad enough”
• May ignore the symptoms, taking a wait-and-see
approach
Denial is common, Don’t accept “indigestion as an
excuse.
Reduce your own heart attack risk
If available, use an automated
external defibrillator (AED).
Warning signs and symptoms
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. Yet
symptoms can often seem unclear at first and then
slowly increase. The following are some signs that
can mean a heart attack is happening.
Stop a heart attack before it can occur. Visit your
healthcare provider for a heart health assessment
to determine if you are at risk. Take steps to improve
your odds.
• If you smoke, quit.
• Lower your blood
pressure.
• Lower your stress.
• Control your diabetes. • Aim for a healthy
weight.
• Limit alcohol.
•
Be
physically active
• Lower blood
every day.
cholesterol.