The Heart Center

Education and Outreach

Outreach to the Community
Heart disease claims more lives than the next seven leading causes of death combined. It is a growing problem for our families, and it takes a toll on our communities and businesses. Understanding the early warning signs is paramount to minimizing the impacts of heart disease and avoiding any disabling impacts.

Look for new educational programs from Mercy Gilbert Medical Center that will help you:

• Determine common signs for stroke or heart attack;
• Navigate the Internet for credible heart information; and 
• Achieve a good balance between diet, exercise and a busy life.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center will offer informational heart risk screening programs throughout the East Valley. A more formal heart risk assessment can be conducted at the hospital. This normally includes an inter-disciplinary team of specialists to analyze a patient's risk profile, current medical condition, genetic diagnostics and personal needs. From this information, an individual program is developed, which could include medication, exercise, education, counseling and surgery.

How can I benefit from the heart risk screening program?
A general heart risk screening will look at your general risk factors for heart disease, which can include:

• Family history
• Level of regular exercise
• Levels of blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar
• Whether you have smoked
• Any other medical conditions that may increase your risk factors

What are the most common symptoms of a heart attack and a stroke?
Heart Attack Warning Signs: Some heart attacks are sudden, but most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. When it begins to happen, most people aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are the common signs that a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath: This feeling often comes along with chest discomfort, but it can occur before the chest discomfort.
• Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling for help.

Stroke Warning Signs: According to the American Stroke Association, the following are warning signs of a stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.