Yahoo Lifestyle ‘I Had a Heart Attack Unexpectedly—This Is the One Risk Factor I Didn’t Know I Had’
From the outside, Cynthia Jones was a healthy 61-year-old. Living in Florida, she lived an active lifestyle and ate healthfully. Having a heart attack certainly wasn’t something she was worried about. Yet it happened—and it almost killed her.
Now, she’s sharing her story as a way to warn others about a risk factor she wished she had taken more seriously, that likely contributed to why she had the heart attack.
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The Early Warning Signs She Missed
Jones’ heart attack didn’t happen out of the blue. In hindsight there were warning signs she says she missed. “A couple of days before the incident, I noticed I had what felt like heartburn and it wouldn’t go away, even after taking Tums,” she says. Jones says that in addition to experiencing what she assumed was heartburn, her back ached. “I took some ibuprofen thinking that my back was hurting because I was sitting at my desk too much,” she says.
Two days later, Jones’ symptoms still hadn’t gone away, so she decided to go to the emergency room. But first, she wanted to stop by her office to pick up her laptop and work papers. Driving to her office, Jones started to feel nauseated and she lost consciousness while waiting at a red light. As she lost consciousness, her foot came off the break, causing her to drift into a major intersection. When Jones regained consciousness, she was on the ground with an ambulance on the way.
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At the hospital, Jones underwent bloodwork and an EKG. Dr. Imran Farooq, MD, the cardiologist called in to look at Jones’ EKG results and who works with Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute, says that Jones’ bloodwork came back normal, but her EKG was a different story. “I told her that her EKG indicated she had a heart attack and I was pretty sure she was having another one right then as we spoke,” Dr. Farooq says.
Further tests showed a 99 percent blockage in one of Jones' arteries, specifically the anterior descending artery. “This condition is often called ‘widow-maker’ because this artery is the source of much of the heart’s blood flow,” says Dr. Farooq. Jones was immediately taken into surgery, where Dr. Farooq placed a stent and closed the artery.
Dr. Farooq says that the classic symptom of having a heart attack is the feeling that something heavy is on one’s chest, but a heart attack can also have the symptoms Jones experienced, such as reflux-like symptoms and a bellyache. He adds that another often overlooked heart attack symptom is arm numbness.
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The One Risk Factor She Overlooked
Jones was shocked. She was active and ate healthfully. Why did she have a heart attack? One potential reason, according to Dr. Farooq: stress. At the time, Jones was experiencing a high level of stress due to her job. Her heart attack was a sign that Jones needed more balance in her life. “I believe the number one reason why I had this heart attack was stress,” she says.
Dr. Farooq confirms that high levels of stress can lead to a heart attack and is also an important risk factor for heart disease. After her heart attack, Jones says she readjusted the way she worked. She resigned from several boards she was on so that she had more time to prioritize self-care.
In addition to managing her stress levels, Jones continues to eat healthy, stay active and takes several medications for her heart health. Four years later, she hasn’t had any other incidents and her prognosis is good.
Dr. Farooq says that Jones is proof that you can’t tell from the outside who is going to have a heart attack. This is why he recommends everyone 50 and older see a cardiologist at least once to get a better understanding of their risk factors.
Jones is fortunate, but her story could have had a much more tragic ending. Continuing to see a cardiologist is an important way she prioritizes her heart health and is a lesson everyone can learn from.
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Sources
Cynthia Jones, Orlando Health patient and heart attack survivor
Dr. Imran S. Farooq, MD, interventional cardiologist at Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute
