THE WIDOWMAKER HEART ATTACK...
The Most Deadly Heart Attack You Can Have
HAVE ONE AND CHANCES ARE... YOU'RE DEAD
The medical term for a heart attack is "myocardial infarction." The medical term for a widowmaker is "ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction," or STEMI. While it is no surprise that all heart attacks are serious and that any heart attack has the potential to be fatal, there is one type of heart attack that is indeed the most fatal of all; it's commonly known as the widowmaker.
The Widowmaker is well known in. the medical community and even has a nasty reputation with the general public. We've all heard of it, but until you know someone who had one, it's one of those things that we don't pay much attention to.
I wrote this article so that others might read it, absorb it, and take it seriously enough to make the changes that might prevent a widowmaker. I'm not a cardiologist; I'm not even a doctor. However, I feel somewhat qualified to write on the subject... because I had a widowmaker and survived.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A WIDOWMAKER?
A Widowmaker Heart Attack is the result of the largest artery in your heart, your left anterior descending (LAD) artery, becoming fully blocked. Once this artery is blocked, it can no longer send the oxygen-rich blood to your heart’s left ventricle. This lower chamber pumps oxygen-rich blood to your aorta, which sends it to your body. When that happens, your blood can't flow properly. Without getting too technical, this will cause a serious problem. Once that happens, your heart muscle will die. At that point, your only chance of survival is immediate medical intervention.
The vast majority of people who have a Widowmaker heart attack don't live to see the next day. In fact, over 88% die from them immediately. However, 10% of people don't survive the first year after a heart attack, which makes the odds of surviving a widowmaker even worse. In addition, the risk of a second heart attack within five years for people 45 or more is about 1 in 5. Obviously, with those odds, you want to do everything you can to prevent having one yourself.
YOUR CHANCES OF
SURVIVING
A WIDOWMAKER IS
LESS THAN 12%
That means victims of this heart attack nearly
90% DIED
WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A WIDOWMAKER?
Who is most likely to bed up having a widowmaker? The name sounds like widowmakers are only targeting older, married men. Obviously, that's not the case. Widowmakers show no bias. They don't care about your race, religion, where you come from, or what your gender might be. The widowmaker is most likely to strike people of any age. However, they are more likely with people over 45 years of age.
THESE ARE THE MOST LIKELY CANDIDATES FOR A WIDOWMAKER
Males 45 plus
Females 50 plus
People who have a family history of heart disease
People who do not have proper nutrition in their diets
People who use tobacco products
People who drink more than a couple of drinks a week
People who do not exercise or are not active daily, or live a sedentary lifestyle
People who are obese
People who have high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol
People who have excessive stress or don't process it well
Having stated that; even young, healthy athletes can have a widowmaker and die. However, this article is not for them. It's for you. If you're overweight, have diabetes, smoke, or drink too much alcohol. If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or don't get the proper nutrition... this article is for you.
There are a few things that you can do to
substantially reduce your chances of having a
WIDOWMAKER.
There are also things that you can do to
increase your chances of having one
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT A WIDOWMAKER?
First things first.
BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH, YOUR BEST BET IS TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR DOCTOR.
The fact is, like cancer, there is presently no silver bullet. You could be in amazing shape, not overweight, exercise every day, not smoke or drink, and not have heart disease in your family history... and still have a widowmaker! If you're looking for an excuse, there it is. But if you want to dramatically reduce your odds of having the dreaded Widowmaker, there are plenty of things that you can do to minimize the odds.
BELOW ARE 7 STEPS TO DRASTICALLY PREVENT A WIDOWMAKER. If you follow these steps your doctor will certainly tell you that you are cutting your chances of having a Widowmaker. However, you'll also be improving your odds of avoiding many other deadly diseases, including strokes, cancer, diabetes, and a myriad of other debilitating and deadly diseases.
GET TO THE PROPER WEIGHT - if you're overweight, lose some pounds
EAT THE RIGHT FOODS - Just because you're not overweight does not ensure that you're healthy
QUITE SMOKING - This one's obvious. And by the way, if you want to be overall healthier, quit vaping too
CUT DOWN ON THE ALCOHOL - Balance is important; a little bit is probably okay, but excessive drinking is detrimental to your health
STAY ACTIVE AND EXCERCISE - It will take a little effort but just get into the habit. Even if you do it little by little.
GET GOOD SLEEP
REDUCE STRESS
The beauty of this is most of the above work hand in hand. If you Stay active and exercise, you'll sleep better. If you eat the right foods, you'll most likely lose weight. When you get good sleep, your stress levels will go down. All in all, this means changing your lifestyle. And with a change of lifestyle, your life will surely change.
We always say
if we could go back, we'd change this or that.
After suffering a Widowmaker,
and knowing that it could have been prevented, I assure you
I would have made those changes long ago.
WHERE TO TURN IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HEART HEALTH
In today's world, it's very difficult to know where to go to find answers to serious matters. That is especially true of health care and health concerns. Many of our country's politicians and huge industries have developed a "Profit First" mentality. As Americans, we struggle to find the right answers. Many of us look for answers on the internet, which can be risky. If we're being honest, we can not necessarily count on our doctors or medical professionals either. Like the internet, opinions can vary drastically, and the consequences for making a wrong decision can be life-altering... or worse.
Improve your chances by doing the best research that you can. Then, put together a list of the best choices. After that, gather as much information as possible to make the best decision. And don't be afraid to change if you find later that you're not comfortable with your choice. Regarding your health, you have to make the best choices possible, and you certainly have the right to change horses. Hopefully, you don't have to change in the middle of the stream. Do your research. Search only quality, qualified sites. Talk to doctors, surgeons, and others in the medical field. Get referrals from other professionals and other people. Gather all of the ammo that you can, and only then should you make your decision. In the meantime, get and stay healthy!
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTH, ALWAYS SEEK THE BEST
Click the link below to find information on America's Best Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgeons