I'm At Risk for a Heart Attack — What Should I Do?

It’s estimated almost one out of two Americans have risk factors for heart disease, and that a whopping one out of five deaths is caused by heart complications. If you know you already have risk factors for a heart attack, you’ll also want to know what you can do to help avoid such an event.

At West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Humayun Naqvi and his team offer preventative cardiology to help you improve your cardiovascular health and potentially save your life. Here’s what we want you to know about how you and your doctor can work together to reduce your risks of heart disease or a fatal heart attack.  

Risk factors for heart disease

To effectively reduce your risks of dying from a heart attack, you should make your doctor aware of any potential threats to your cardiovascular health, including:

• Smoking (including vaping) 
• Chewing tobacco or continual nicotine patch or gum usage
• Being overweight or obese
• Abusing street or pharmaceutical drugs
• Having high cholesterol, hypertension, or diabetes
• Experiencing prolonged and/or severe periods of stress
• Overusing caffeine
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• Having poor dental health
• Being over the age of 45 (for men) or 55 (women)

If you’ve lost family members to heart disease, you’re even more likely to be at risk for heart disease or heart attack.

Types of heart disease 

Heart disease includes many different cardiovascular conditions, such as:

• Arrhythmia (fast or irregular heartbeat)
• Brachycardia (slower-than-normal heartbeat)
• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Congenital heart defects
• Endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart)
• Enlarged heart muscles 
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Valvular heart disease

If you have risk factors for heart disease, and/or heart disease of any kind in your family, you should have heart screenings done regularly.

Symptoms of heart disease or heart attack

Symptoms of various types of heart diseases can range from swollen ankles or coldness or numbness in your limbs to dizziness, fatigue, or fluttering feelings in your chest. If you have risk factors plus symptoms, you should tell your doctor right away.

Talking to a cardiovascular specialist as soon as possible can help prevent a life-threatening event.  If we find evidence of heart disease, we’ll do testing to find out which area of your heart is affected and how badly, and what factors may be making your condition worse.

Symptoms of an impending heart attack or even an attack in progress are usually more immediate, and include:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the neck, jaw, or back
• Stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
• Feeling lightheaded or faint
• Pain in one or both arms or shoulders

If you’re having these symptoms, you need to ask someone to call 9-1-1 or take you to an emergency room right away. You might be having a “heart episode” or even a full blown heart attack. 

After you’re stable, you can visit our office, and we’ll make a plan to help your heart get and stay healthier to avoid repeat episodes. This might mean having a procedure, taking medication, and/or changing your diet and lifestyle.

Don’t wait for symptoms to appear or a life-threatening cardiovascular event to occur. Learn more about protecting your heart by calling West Houston Heart Center at 832-400-3957 or requesting an appointment online.