Heart attacks | No. 1 killer
Victims of heart attacks often make crucial mistakes that can critically affect their survival and their recovery. One of the most frequent mistakes is not calling 911 and arranging transportation by ambulance to the hospital. Another is not adhering to medication regimens prescribed by a doctor to decrease the potential for heart attacks. Some people refuse medications. Other people start to feel better and stop taking medications that their doctors have prescribed.
Doctors are able, if a heart attack victim arrives quickly at a hospital, to use treatments and techniques that will open clogged arteries, preserve heart muscle, minimize the amount of heart damage caused by the heart attack, and prescribe medications that reduce the risk of a future heart attack by treating conditions such as high cholesterol that put people at risk.
Watch the New York Times online video” Heart Disease No. 1 Killer” in which a doctor and heart attack victim discuss the dos and don’ts for those who suffer a heart attack. A one-time registration may be required.
Read, in addition, a New York Times article, "Lessons of Heart Disease, Learned and Ignored"
By Gina Kolata,published on April 8, 2007. A one-time registration may be required.
