Preventing a Heart Attack

Posted by:  Scott Stewart, MSAc., Dipl.Ac., LAc.

According to the CDC, 735,000 Americans suffer a heart attack every year.  This breaks down into 525,000 people having their first heart attack, and 210,000 suffering their second attack.    






Heart attack symptoms can include:

• Chest pain or discomfort (fullness, tightness)
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, or shoulder
  
• Faint / light-headedness or feeling weak with clammy sweats
  
• Stomach pain (may feel like heartburn)
  
• Nausea & vomiting
  

Prevention:

• Eat a healthy diet with lots of vegetables, preferably 6 servings of veggies to 3 servings of fruit.
  
• Stay active / exercise everyday (if you have limitation check with your acupuncturist / physician) 
  
• Get enough quality sleep every night.
  
• Meditation, yoga, taichi or gigong are all extremely beneficial to health.
  
• Stay current with your blood work.  Apart from the normal blood work (CBC, CMP and full thyroid panel), a cardio panel should be done yearly, especially if you are in a higher risk category.  
  

Comprehensive Cardiac panel includes:

• CoQ10
  
• Fatty acid levels (EPA and DHA)
  
• Ferritin
  
• Fibrinogen
  
• HgB A1C
  
• HS-CRP
  
• Homocysteine
  
• Lipid panel (Total cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, vertical autoprofile (VAP), Apo A1, Apo B, lipoprotein (a), HDL:Total cholesterol, HDL:LDL, HDL:Triglycerides)
  
• Magnesium (RBC)
  
• Testosterone
  
• 25 hydroxy vitamin D 
  

If you think you're experiencing the onset of a heart attack, chew a single tablet of 325mg non-enteric coated aspirin and call 911.

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