HEART ATTACK

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about how a heart attack happens, what are the causes and what can be done to prevent a heart attack.

Central Idea: Heart attacks are the number one killer in the world, but it is preventable through a healthy lifestyle.

Introduction

1. You are walking down a street, feeling stressed up that you did not get a promotion. You are a successful man, a big player in the corporate world. Suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your chest that radiates all over your torso. 2. Its a heavy, strangulating, suffocating experience-far more intense than anything like indigestion, chest wall injuries, or spasms of the esophagus that you are familiar with. 3. You feel light-headed and dizzy, after which you collapse. You breathe your last breath and meet your maker. Congratulations, you have just suffered a fatal heart attack. 4. How did this silent killer take away someones life in a matter of minutes? It is a heart attack , a disease that kills thousands worldwide daily.

(Transition: Lets start with how a heart attack happens)

Body

1. A heart attack is a series of complex processes that lead to myocardial infarction. There are two scenarios. A. In the first case, a heart attack happens due to years of plaque build-up on the walls of coronary arteries. i) ii) When the lumen is blocked, parts of the heart are deprived of oxygen. This leads to angina (pains in the chest) followed by cardiac muscle death and a possibly fatal heart attack. B. The second case is whereby a blood clot forms in the artery and blocks of blood supply to the heart. i) When the arterial wall is damaged due to stress, or physical exertion, a blood clot forms and this causes the artery to get blocked. ii) Eventually a heart attack will follow as the blood clot impedes the movement of blood.

(Transition: Now that you know how it happens, lets look at the causes.)

2) A heart attack is a disease that is caused by many factors.

A. The first factor is the Genetic Factor

i)

Defective DNA and genes are a risk factor, regardless of the lifestyle we lead. Scientists have discovered a strand of DNA that dramatically raises the risk of coronary heart disease and doubles the chances of younger people suffering a heart attack prematurely.

ii)

This is a non-modifiable risk factor, whereby there is nothing we can do to offset this risk factor.

iii)

This

causes

Person

to

have

higher

blood

cholesterol

(hypercholesterolaemia) levels compared to Person B although the former leads a healthier lifestyle.

B. The second factor is our diet.

i)

This is the main contributory factor to a heart attack. Most people indulge in foods that are high in fat, trans-fatty acids, salt, sugar and cholesterol on a long term basis. A high salt diet causes hypertension, while a high fat diet leads to blocked arteries.

ii)

Even eating too much of sweet foods leads to diabetes, which only elevates the risk of suffering a heart attack. Fast foods are also full of trans-fatty acids, which raises the levels of LDL (Bad Cholesterol) and decreases the levels of HDL (Good Cholesterol) in our body.

iii)

Plaque forms from these fats over many years and settles on the arterial walls (arterosclerosis).

C. The third factor is the lifestyle factor.

i)

Majority of people these days are couch potatoes and are too lazy to exercise. Exercise plays an important role in preventing a heart attack as it improves blood circulation and promotes the release.

ii)

When we lead a sedentary lifestyle, our cardiovascular strength decreases and we are more susceptible to a heart attack.

iii)

The risk of dying from heart disease is 52% higher for men and 28% higher for women, all due to a lack of physical activity.

iv)

Smoking is also a major cause of heart attacks as the tar and other chemicals hardens the arteries, making it easier for the artery to rupture, leading to a heart attack.

(Transition: Given the severity of heart attacks Im sure you are wondering a heart attack can be prevented.)

2. A heart attack can be prevented through simple modifications and adjustments to your life.

A. Eat a healthy diet.

i)

This consists of more heart-healthy foods such as legumes, salmon, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, almonds etc.

ii)

Avoid foods high in saturated fats such as fast foods, deep-fried foods, lard and red meat.

iii)

Take supplements such as fish oil which promotes cardiovascular healthprevention is better than cure.

B. Make lifestyle adjustments.

i)

Do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week, 40 minutes per session, such as swimming, jogging, playing football and so on. This improves blood circulation to the heart and promotes the release of good hormones such as endorphin which is good for the heart. Always remember to exercise in moderation.

ii)

Quit smoking, as smoking hardens arteries and increases levels of free radicals in the body-another contributing to a heart attack.

iii)

Avoid drinking excessively as high alcohol levels elevate blood pressure, increasing the risk of a heart attack.

C. Go for regular check-ups.

i)

You should go for a complete health check-up every 4 months to ensure a healthy body and to detect early signs of a possible heart attack.

ii)

If you have a family history of heart attacks, then check-ups should be done on a more regular basis.

D. Take an aspirin a day.

i)

Extensive research has shown that taking one aspirin tablet a day reduces the risk of heart attack by 33%.

ii)

Aspirin acts as a blood thinning agent and prevents platelets from clotting blood , thus preventing a possible blood clot.

Conclusion

1) As we have seen, a heart attack is mostly due to our unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles. 2) We have to be aware that heart attacks kill thousands worldwide daily and take precautionary steps to prevent it. 3) A healthy diet and active lifestyle will aid in cardiovascular health. 4) If ever things get out of hand, there are many surgical treatments that have a high success rate, however prevention is better than cure.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jacob, George. Heart Infocenter. Retrieved from http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Heart/heart_attack_identifying.htm

Bowie, Greg. Centers for Disease Control And Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/heartDisease/risk_factors.htm

Gifford, Jones. 10 Ways To Decrease The Risk of Heart Attack. Retrieved from http://www.canadafreepress.com/medical/cardio-vascular110694.htm

Scheve, Tom. What exactly happens during a heart attack? Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/what-happens-during-a-heart-attack.htm