(WXYZ) — As we close out Heart Health Month, we wanted to examine heart attack risk.
Here in America, the number of heart attacks is low compared to years ago, but what's rising is the number of young people under the age of 40, including those in their 20s and 30s, who are now landing in the hospital due to a heart attack.
Women are more likely than men to have heart attacks that are not caused by coronary artery disease. And what we do when faced with this danger, even if it's silent, can be a matter of life and death.
Kari West is an active mother who works in health care. Her son is in the Army, her husband survived open heart surgery and she knows her family history.
“My father actually died of a heart attack at 58. My mom had a pacemaker at 55,” she says.
But Kari, a health-conscious adult, has no serious heart problem. Although she was diagnosed with hypertension at 45. A coronary calcium screening more than a year a was a beauty.
“My score was zero, which means I had zero blockages,” said West.
Her bloodwork was perfect, and she had no issues with her cholesterol. The last words from her doctor/
“You're going to be great for ten years, we won't even have to do this test again,” said West talking about her doctor's advice.
Yet only four days later, West went to sleep and woke up four hours later vomiting.
“Woke up violently ill, I thought I had food poisoning,” said West.
She passed out and woke up with serious chest pain - like she was being squeezed in a vice.
“I'm like, call 911 I think I'm having a heart attack,” said West.
Within minutes an ambulance had her in the emergency room of DMC's Huron Valley Hospital.
“My biggest fear was that I was going to die," said West. “It was scary sorry.”
With her pain on a scale of 1-to-10 at a 12, The main artery that feeds oxygen and blood to her entire body including her lungs had a 100% blockage.
“I had a blood clot totally blocking my artery that just broke off with no warning out of nowhere,” said West.
Her doctor told her, “You are one lucky lady. We were five minutes from losing you.”
Dr. Feras Aloka, who is the director of DMC Sinai Grace and Huron Valley's Cardiac Cath Lab, worked on Kari.
“She's not your typical patient that should have a heart attack. She was living a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Feras Aloka.
Dr. Aloka says timing and location are critical.
“It can be very lethal, especially if you're not in an emergency department or in a place where they receive CPR defibrillation to shock the heart,” said Aloka. “And the age of heart attack patients.”
“I think there is nobody that is too young for a heart attack,” he added.
“So don't ignore your symptoms, chest pain, sweating, pain that goes to your jaw, numbness in your left arm,” said Aloka.
Also get screened for diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Women, a lot of the time, don't have textbook symptoms. Sometimes it's shoulder pain or back pain in women.
“Why are you seeing it in younger patients?” asked Carolyn Clifford.
"We're living an unhealthy lifestyle. Young people are vaping, not enough exercise, and too much fast food."
For Kari, her whole family has changed their eating habits, exercising more, and not ignoring the warning signs.
“I'm a miracle really. I had a widowmaker heart attack that people usually die in their sleep from and don't wake up, I'm blessed and lucky,” said West.
Dr. Aloka credits his whole team with saving Kari's life, saying they get up and leave their families in the middle of the night to save others. His final message is to listen to your body and don't ignore your symptoms.
