Half of Canada’s populace has been affected by heart disease and stroke in some manner, based on Heart and Stroke Foundation data. However, the understanding of these health issues remains considerably lower. Alarmingly, one in every three Canadians is unable to differentiate between cardiac arrest and a heart attack. They are also unaware that the symptoms of a heart attack vary between men and women.
These were the findings of a recent Heart and Stroke poll, which underscored an urgent need for better education on the subject. “A third of Canadians believe recognising the signs of a stroke is difficult unless you’re a trained healthcare professional,” commented Lesley James, a spokesperson for Heart and Stroke and the organization’s director of health policy and systems. She urged everyone to learn and understand the signs of stroke, emphasizing that it could occur to anyone at any age.
The poll, carried out by the Environics Research Group, sought insights from 2,003 Canadians aged 18 and above about their comprehension of heart-related ailments.
Understanding Heart Conditions and their Differences
Cardiac arrest and heart attack are frequently confused and used interchangeably, even though they are two distinct health conditions. A heart attack is caused by a blockage or slowing of blood flow to the heart, while a cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating. Unfortunately, one in three Canadians does not know this distinction, highlighted the survey results.
Cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke are all medical emergencies that need immediate attention. Equally important is to distinguish a stroke, which is caused by a blockage in the blood flow to the brain.
Dr. Robert Fahed, a neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital, shared that heart attacks and strokes stem from the same set of vascular risk factors, including smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and lack of physical exercise.
Recognizing a Heart Attack’s Different Signs in Women
Another critical finding from the study was the lack of awareness that heart attack symptoms differ for men and women. According to James, a “Hollywood” heart attack, typically associated with severe chest pain, is more common in men. In contrast, women may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or abdomen, dizziness, upper back pressure, or extreme fatigue. The poll suggested that such symptoms often go unrecognized in nearly half of Canadian women, as they are less severe than men’s symptoms.
Fahed added that owing to the production of more estrogen, women’s physiology is slightly different, potentially leading to heart attacks at different ages and with different severity than men.
Surviving Cardiac Arrest Outside the Hospital
Heart and Stroke data revealed that 90 per cent of individuals experiencing a cardiac arrest in a non-hospital setting do not survive. Disturbingly, a third of Canadians was unaware of this sobering reality, according to the poll.
One in three Canadians mistakenly believe they should drive someone experiencing a stroke to the hospital immediately. In actuality, the vital first step should be to call emergency services as soon as possible. The same applies for cardiac arrest, for which immediate medical intervention with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and CPR is crucial.
Simply put, “For heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest, the sooner medical attention is called, the sooner patients are cared for, and the prognosis is improved.” concluded Fahed.
