In this module you will learn:

• The basic information on heart disease and stroke, the risk factors and what you can do to reduce your own risk.
• The warning signs and what you should do if you or someone around you is displaying these symptoms.

Overview

About Heart Disease
There are different types of heart disease, but the kind you need to worry about most is coronary heart disease.

Your heart has arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle. These are your coronary arteries. Over time, fatty deposits called plaque can build up in the wall of these arteries, reducing the blood supply. In some people — but not everyone — this can cause chest pain called angina.

Over time, a plaque can rupture, and a piece could lodge in an artery or a blood clot could form. This can block blood flow to the heart muscle, causing part of it to start to die. This is a heart attack, and it is an emergency — get to the hospital right awayI The quicker you get treatment, the more of your heart muscle might be saved. 

These are the warning signs of a heart attack:

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

The most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort for both men and women. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

About Stroke
Most strokes happen because of problems like the ones that trigger heart attacks. Fatty deposits (plaque) build up in arteries carrying blood to the brain. If the plaque ruptures, a piece could break off or a blood clot could form. This will block the artery, and part of the brain won’t get the blood and nourishment it needs. That part of the brain will start to die. This is an ischemic stroke, the most common type.

Another type of stroke, a hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. This also deprives a part of the brain of the blood it needs, causing part of it to die. Both kinds of stroke can kill you or leave you with severe disabilities.

To help protect yourself and your loved ones from stroke, know the warning signs and what to do if they occur.  They are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you have one or more stroke warning signs, don’t wait — call 9-1-1 immediately! Get to a hospital fast. The quicker you get treatment, the less severe your stroke may be.

About Risk Factors
Traits or behaviors that increase your chances for heart disease and stroke are called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

Unfortunately, many African Americans don’t know the risks for heart disease and stroke. And even those who do don’t always do all they can to protect themselves.

What can you do? Look in the mirror. You’re face-to-face with the one person who can do the most to protect you against heart disease and stroke.

Learn Your Risk Factors
There are two categories of risk factors:

Those you can’t change:

• Increasing age
• Gender
• Heredity (including Race)

Those you can:

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Physical inactivity
• Obesity and overweight
• Diabetes

A full copy of this module is available to download.