A heart attack is an event that can damage your heart, and it is potentially life-threatening. The cause of most heart attacks is a sudden clot in a blood vessel that feeds the heart. This blood vessel may be filled with fat and a substance called “plaque” that slows blood flow in the artery or eventually breaks open, causing a clot that stops blood flow to an area of your heart muscle.

• If you’re a smoker, stop
• Control other health conditions such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week
• Watch what you eat. Eat a diet that is low in saturated fat and watch your salt intake.
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce stress
• Practice good hygiene

Heart attack and cardiac arrest warning signs may include one or more of the following symptoms: Chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, a feeling of impending doom, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, jaw discomfort, arm pain, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, sudden loss of responsiveness and no normal breathing.

CHF is a condition whereby the heart can’t pump enough blood to the other organs in the body. It can result from a variety of causes including coronary artery disease, a past heart attack that left scar tissue in the heart muscle, high blood pressure, primary heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) and other causes.