Cardiac arrest is a medical condition where the heart stops beating suddenly, and it's different from a heart attack, which refers to a blockage in blood flow to the heart, according to the American Heart Association. When someone experiences cardiac arrest, the proper steps, such as CPR and use of a defibrillator, need to be taken right away to improve the chances of survival. About 90 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Immediate CPR triples the chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest, yet only 32 percent of receive bystander CPR. Many people assume that if they are not medically trained, they are not allowed or unable to perform CPR. There are simple, lifesaving steps any bystander can take with help from 911 or automated external defibrillators.
Heart attacks, the most common cause of cardiac arrest, and heart disease, a leading risk factor for cardiac arrest, are becoming more common in women above the between 40 and 60 years, and women often don’t manifest the traditional symptoms of breathlessness, chest pressure or discomfort, and therefore can go undetected. Because the symptoms of serious heart problems in women can be easy to ignore, it's important know your body, to advocate for yourself in medical settings and to have a health care provider who can help you identify early warning signs.
