skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Multiple victims following a shooting incident on the UNLV campus; research in Georgia receives a boost for Alzheimer's treatments and cure; and a new environmental justice center helps Nebraska communities and organizations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump says he would be a dictator for one day if he wins, Kevin McCarthy is leaving the body he once led and Biden says not passing aid for Ukraine could embolden Putin.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Texas welcomes more visitors near Big Bend but locals worry the water won't last, those dependent on Colorado's Dolores River fear the same but have found common ground solutions, and a new film highlights historical healthcare challenges in rural Appalachia.

GA Heart Expert Explains Heart Attack, Cardiac Arrest, Prevention

play audio
Play

Tuesday, February 7, 2023   

February is American Heart Month, and a Georgia medical expert said knowing the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest can help save a life.

Every year, more than 800,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack, and the majority are first-time heart attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Jaime Burkle, medical director of the Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism and Lipids at the Georgia Heart Institute, said cardiac arrest is when a person's heart stops pumping blood around their body, and they stop breathing. He added circulation needs to be restored immediately with CPR.

He noted one of the causes of cardiac arrest could be a heart attack, which is due to blockage in the circulation in the coronary arteries.

"The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with blood," Burkle explained. "And when you have a buildup of cholesterol plaque inside the artery, and then a blood clot, this will interrupt the circulation of blood inside the heart muscle and cause a heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction."

Burkle pointed out if cardiac arrest results from a heart attack, which is about 25% of the cases, then it is preventable. He added prevention starts with tackling the risk factors which can cause heart attacks, such as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and obesity.

Dr. Ravi Johar, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare, said a cardiac arrest can happen to a teenager playing baseball, who's hit by a ball at the exact moment in the heartbeat cycle to disrupt it. He added family medical history and genetics can help determine if someone is prone to experience cardiac arrest or a heart attack. Screening and tests are encouraged for those with high-risk family history.

"Things like Marfan syndrome increases the risk of aneurysms and abnormal blood flow to the heart, and things of that sort," Johar noted. "There can be some genetic consequences. There can also be genetic history, if your parents had problems with their hearts, there's a higher likelihood that you may."

Johar stressed it is important to be aware of some of the most common heart-attack signs including tightness, pressure, or an aching sensation in the chest which can spread through the upper body, plus shortness of breath, fatigue and dizziness.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League found nearly three in four Jewish students in the U.S. have experienced or witnessed antisemitism this school year. The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has also opened investigations into alleged Islamophobic incidents at least a half-dozen colleges and universities. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

College presidents testified before a congressional committee Tuesday on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led …


Social Issues

play sound

There are some bright spots in beefing up local news coverage, but a new report says in North Dakota and elsewhere, there are still big concerns …

Social Issues

play sound

A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds the repayment process for federal student loans has been filled with errors…


Between the summers of 2021 and 2022, more than 500 children spent at least one night in county government offices because they had nowhere to go, according to the Public Children Association of Ohio. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

More than 3,500 foster children are available for adoption in Ohio, and state agencies are connecting with local faith congregations to help recruit …

Environment

play sound

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife just announced a marine warden discovered an endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle dead, drowned …

A CARE Court treatment plan lasts up to two years and can assist with housing, medical care, addiction treatment, counseling, and more. (SB Arts Media/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

The state's largest county has just opened the new CARE Court system, designed to get help for severely mentally ill people in Los Angeles. CARE …

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is voicing health and safety concerns about the development of a landfill for radioactive waste from the Y12 Ura…

Social Issues

play sound

California tribes are headed to the White House Tribal Nations Summit tomorrow, where they will ask Congress and the Biden administration to create …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021