Although heart disease and stroke affect half of Canada’s population in some form, the knowledge and understanding of these health conditions among Canadians appears to be dismayingly scant, according to a novel poll conducted by Heart and Stroke.
This nationwide survey found that a third of Canadians are unable to discern the critical difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. Moreover, many are oblivious to the fact that heart attack symptoms manifest differently in men and women.
Of particular concern is the finding that a majority of Canadians believe that discerning the signs of a stroke requires specialized medical training. This dangerous presumption is far from the truth as the signs are straightforward and universal, no matter one’s age or profession, as opined by Lesley James, Heart and Stroke spokesperson, and director of health policy and systems.
For the survey, over 2,000 Canadian adults aged 18 and above were interviewed online between May 29th and June 9th, 2023, to assess their understanding of different heart-related conditions.
Heart attack and cardiac arrest, though often used interchangeably, constitute two separate medical emergencies. As per Heart and Stroke, cardiac arrest is a cessation of heartbeats, whereas a heart attack results from obstruction or slowing down of blood flow to the heart. Unawareness about this critical difference permeates through one-third of the population, necessitating urgent public education on heart conditions.
Similarly, a stroke occurs from blocked blood flow to the brain. As Dr. Robert Fahed, a neurologist at The Ottawa Hospital explains, heart attacks and strokes are consequences of similar vascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
A heart attack showcases different signs in men and women, but one-third of the public remain oblivious to this fact. While men mainly experience chest pain, women display subtler symptoms such as breathlessness, pressure or acute pain in the lower chest or abdomen, dizziness, or extreme fatigue. Misconstruing these symptoms often leads to overlooking heart attack encounters in women, a negligent state that needs immediate rectification.
The differences in physiological responses between sexes are primarily due to estrogen production in women, which influences how the heart and vessels function. However, amongst women, the tendency to downplay the severity of symptoms often leads to life-threatening consequences or persistent damage.
Adding to the complexities is the underrepresentation of women in heart attack studies, leading to our limited understanding of the heart conditions specific to women. Therapeutic interventions, therefore, need to be geared towards creating medications and treatments more attuned to the female body’s distinct requirements.
According to Heart and Stroke, the survival rate for people suffering a cardiac arrest outside the hospital is low, at 10%. A third of the Canadian public remains in the dark about this gloomy statistic. Simultaneously, the survey pointed out that in the event of a stroke, a third of Canadians assume immediately driving the patient to the hospital is the best course of action. When in reality, the first step should be to call 911, allowing professionals to administer immediate attention and interventions like an automated external defibrillator or CPR.
Recognizing the symptoms at the earliest and seeking immediate medical help can positively impact the patient’s prognosis according to Fahed, reinforcing the need for public education on these critical health conditions.
