Samaritan Healthcare | The Samaritan | Spring 2018

Lilian’s story: Six months after she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, Lilian had a stroke. Tests revealed that she also had high cholesterol. She was overweight and had a stressful, sedentary lifestyle. “My excuse for many years was that I didn’t have time to exercise,” she says. 5 What you can learn from her experience: Many of the same risk factors that raise your risk of a heart attack also raise your risk of a stroke. That means if you’re at risk for one, you’re likely at risk for the other. In fact, a stroke is often called a brain attack. We have an entire team dedicated to helping you recover from a cardiac event. Learn about Samaritan’s cardiac rehabilitation services at samaritanhealthcare.com/heart . Claudia’s story: Claudia still remembers not being able to catch her breath and having a pinching feeling inside her chest. But because of a family emergency, she ignored these heart attack red flags and blamed them on stress. When she finally saw her doctor, tests revealed a 95 percent blockage in a coronary artery. 3 What you can learn from her experience: Don’t downplay heart attack warn- ing signs. Although some are sudden and intense, most start slowly. For men and women both, the most common warning sign is chest pain or discomfort that lasts more than a few min- utes. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experi- ence other common symptoms. Among them: ■  ■ Shortness of breath. ■  ■ Nausea or vomiting. ■  ■ Back or jaw pain. ■  ■ Extreme fatigue. ■  ■ A cold sweat. Tara’s story: At 40, Tara had three heart attacks in a week. As she struggled to understand why, she dug into her family history. “No one ever talked about it,” she says. She was shocked to learn that her grandfather and four uncles on her father’s side had died of heart disease. 4 What you can learn from her experience: Know your family medical history. Heart disease can run in families. Your risk rises if you had a father or brother with heart dis- ease before age 55 or a mother or sister with heart disease before age 65. Protect yourself. While a family history of heart disease doesn’t mean you’ll have it, too, it’s your signal—and a strong one—to adopt habits that can decrease your risk of developing heart disease, such as eating better, moving more, keeping blood pressure low and trimming down if you’re carrying extra pounds. Protect yourself. Work with your doctor to control the risk factors that contribute to both heart attacks and strokes: high blood pressure, high choles- terol, high blood sugar, a poor diet, being inactive and smoking. should know about Protect yourself. If there’s any chance you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Acting fast—within five minutes after symptoms start— can limit damage to your heart. And don’t let someone else drive you to the hospital. When you call 911, emergency medical help can begin lifesaving treat- ment right away. Sources: American College of Cardiology; American Heart Association; National Institutes of Health Spring 2018 7