Important Information on Heart Attacks

A heart attack occurs when special blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become blocked. This prevents oxygen from getting to the heart, leading the heart muscle to become damaged.

If you are experiencing the following symptoms, it is considered a health emergency. Call 911 or the local emergency response number in your area. Rest until help arrives.

Warning signs of a heart attack

• Anxiety
• Shortness of breath
• Light-headedness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Discomfort in the jaw, neck, shoulders, chest arms or back
• Stomach pain similar to indigestion

Other Heart Conditions

There are many conditions associated with problems in the blood vessels, some of which can be linked to unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Stroke: this is when blood flow to the brain is stopped, either by a blockage or by a blood vessel bursting. A stroke is considered an emergency and is associated with the following symptoms:

• Weakness — Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, leg or arm. It often occurs on only one side of the body.
• Headache — Sudden and severe headache
• Speaking — Sudden confusion and/or difficulty speaking
• Vision problems — Sudden difficulty with vision
• Dizziness — Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

Congestive heart failure: This is a serious condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body, causing fluid to build up in different areas of the body.

Arrhythmia: Also called “irregular heartbeat,” this refers to a disorder of your heart beat. Your heart will beat too slowly, too quickly, or with an irregular pattern. “Atrial fibrillation” is one kind of arrhythmia that is caused by a disorder in the heart’s electrical system.

Atherosclerosis: This is an illness in which plaque builds up in your arteries. Over time, this plaque accumulates and can cause blockages. Atherosclerosis is a risk factor for the development of serious problems such as coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and carotid artery disease (these all refer to artery blockages to various parts of the body).

^Sources

1. ^{College of Family Physicians of Canada. http://www.cfpc.ca/ProjectAssets/Templates/Resource.aspx?id=1364&langType=4105&terms=cholesterol}
2. ^{Eat Right Ontario. How to Achieve Healthy Blood Cholesterol Levels. http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/viewdocument.aspx?id=173}
3. ^{Genest J, McPherson R, Frohlich J, et al. 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dyslipidemia and prevention of cardiovascular disease in the adult – 2009 recommendations. Can J Cardiol. 2009; 25(10):567-79.}
4. ^{Health Canada. Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide. www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html}
5. ^{Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Living with Cholesterol. www.heartandstroke.com}
6. ^{Mayo Clinic. High cholesterol. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-cholesterol/DS00178}
7. ^{National Institutes of Health. US Library of Medicine. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cholesterol.html}
8. ^{Public Health Agency of Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/cvd-mcv/cholesterol_fat-cholesterol_gras-eng.php}