Heart disease remains a top killer in Georgia, United States

ALBANY — Representatives of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital recently educated an area civic club on an ailment that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says strikes someone in the United States every 34 seconds.

Amanda Cauley, the stroke coordinator at Phoebe, was at the Dougherty County Kiwanis Club last week to talk about the signs of a heart attack and how those cardiac events can be prevented.

Every year, there are about 720,000 documented heart attacks nationwide, with coronary heart disease adding up to $108.9 billion in health care costs annually. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Georgia, accounting for 30 percent of all fatalities, Cauley said.

“It is largely due to diet, and in the 2014 era, we are not as active as we used to be,” she said.

The good news is that the numbers are beginning to trend down.

“I would attribute that to the health warnings … people are starting to listen to the advertisements,” said Cauley.

Eighty-two percent of those who die from heart disease are 65 or older. Men are often at greater risk than women. Those who have a family history of heart disease are at higher risk. Smokers are two- to four-times more likely than non-smokers to be impacted.

Symptoms of heart disease, Cauley said, often include unusual fatigue, palpitations, labored breathing, and chest pain or discomfort with increased activity. Signs of a heart attack, she said, include chest pain lasting more than a few minutes before going away and coming back, discomfort that radiates to other areas of the body, a cold sweat, and nausea or light-headedness.

“A lot of people say it feels like an elephant is sitting on their chest,” Cauley said of the pressure sometimes felt during a heart attack.

When the signs of a heart attack present themselves, Cauley’s guidance is to not wait more than a few minutes before dialing 911.

In order to reduce risk, Cauley said the recommended actions are to maintain a balanced diet, lower blood pressure, be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week, lower weight, reduce stress, manage diabetes properly and limit alcohol intake.

A member of the club asked if more cases of heart disease are seen during the holidays. Cauley said there is increased activity, but that is not necessarily because of stress.

“People are around family members more, so they notice things,” she said.

Dr. Price Corr, an Albany surgeon who is a Kiwanis member, noted that colder weather alone can put more stress on the heart.

“In the cold, blood vessels cut off in the extremities and blood collects closer to the heart,” he explained.

The CDC says heart disease accounts for one in four of the nation’s deaths each year, with the death rates traditionally being highest in the South.