The condition in which the heart doesn’t receive enough blood is called myocardial ischemia. It occurs when the blood vessels around the heart that feed blood to the heart are clogged or blocked. Untreated myocardial ischemia can play itself out in three phases: angina (the general name for the condition in which the heart doesn’t get enough blood), heart attack (myocardial infarction), and sudden death.

In some cases (10 to 20 percent), angina is “silent”-that is, the patient experiences none of the usual symptoms. And angina can be stable or unstable. When it is stable, it is predictable. For example, exertion will always bring pain, and resting will always stop it. Unstable angina is more dangerous. Symptomatic pain may come when the victim is resting, or, if it comes during exer- tion, it may not go away when the victim is at rest. It is also more likely to lead to a heart attack.
But these distinctions aren’t essential to the patient. What is important is that he or she recognize the symptoms and seek appropriate care. Myocardial ischemia (the condition in which the heart does- n’t receive enough blood) can cause a heart attack, as you know. While angina is a symptom that the heart isn’t getting enough blood, in the case of a heart attack, the blood flow to the heart stops completely, and the part of the heart affected will die. The death rate for heart attack is estimated to be 8 percent to 10 percent, and may run higher.
Myocardial ischemia can-though only when there are rare complications-cause sudden death, and it’s common. The hear: goes into a dangerous arrhythmia (irregular beat) and then stops It is this kind of heart attack that’s most publicized by the medic. and that’s unfortunate. Such episode; happen, certainly, as we saw in the case of Reverend Johnson, but the’ are relatively rare. The damage don e by the wide publicity given to sue:’ cases, with all their drama, is the: people get a false sense of fatalisn. “See, nothing can be done. If it going to happen, it’s going to hal-” pen.” That’s one way we rationali: not taking care of ourselves.

The truth is that heart attacks usually follow warnings in f’ form of angina symptoms. And angina, when diagnosed ar. treated appropriately, usually has a good prognosis.

1.    Victims of heart disease usually die suddenly with no prior symptoms.

1.    If you have coronary artery disease there’s nothing you can do about it.

1.    Chest pains and discomfort or tightness in the chest are just signs that you’re getting older.

1.    Feeling tired all the time, or less energetic, is just another sign that you’re getting older.

1.    Once cardiac symptoms occur, there’s nothing you can do to reverse the process.

1.    If cardiac symptoms are ignored long enough, they usually go away.

If you answered false to all of them, you passed. These are all misconceptions that lead to delay in early diagnosis and treatment. They also lead to countless unnecessary deaths in all Americans, especially African Americans. Sure, it’s a misfortune to develop coronary artery disease. But it’s a far worse misfortune to ignore symptoms, which, when recognized, can point you toward treatment and recovery. All you have to do is recognize them early

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