>>CORLEY PEEL: IT’S ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS. AND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, MOST OF US ARE
RUNNING AROUND BUYING
LAST-MINUTE GIFTS AND PROBABLY
EATING AND DRINKING MORE. THEN
USUAL. WELL, THIS CAN LEAD TO
EXTRA STRESS AND ANXIETY AND
THE NUMBER OF HEART ATTACKS
AND STROKES INCREASES EVERY
HOLIDAY SEASON. SO JOINING ME
NOW IS DOCTOR STEVEN ENGLISH,
A NEUROLOGIST WITH MAYO,
CLINIC’S COMPREHENSIVE STROKE
CENTER. GOOD MORNING. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
GOOD MORNING. GRAN. THANKS SO
MUCH FOR HAVING ME TO THAT.
ABSOLUTELY. SO TELL ME WHAT
EXACTLY HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE
HAS A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE.
>> WELL, BOTH HEART ATTACKS
AND STROKES ARE REALLY CAUSED
BY VERY SIMILAR PROCESS. EASE.
IT’S RELATED TO A BLOCKAGE OF
BLOOD VESSEL AND DECREASE
BLOOD FLOW TO EITHER THE BRAIN
OR THE HEART. SO WHAT HAPPENS
IS THE PIPES BECOME CLOGGED?
THERE’S NOT ENOUGH BLOOD
REACHING THE ORGAN AND THAT
CAN CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE
IF THAT BLOOD VESSEL IS NOT
REOPEN IN A TIMELY FASHION.
>> AND A REALLY INTERESTING
STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO FOUND
MORE CARDIAC THAT’S HAPPENED
ON CHRISTMAS IN NEW YEAR’S
THAN ANY OTHER DAY. TO ME,
THAT’S REALLY SHOCKING. WHY IS
THAT?
>> WELL, AS YOU’VE ALREADY
MENTIONED, A FEW REASONS. I
OBVIOUSLY THERE’S MORE STRESS.
PEOPLE MIGHT SKIP THEIR
MEDICATIONS OR AND ALSO A
LITTLE BIT MORE IN FOOD AND
ALCOHOL. BUT I THINK ONE THING
THAT DEFINITELY HAPPENS IS
THAT PEOPLE TEND TO DOWNPLAY
OR IGNORE THEIR SYMPTOMS
AROUND THE HOLIDAYS BECAUSE
THEY DON’T WANT TO DISRUPT THE
FESTIVITIES FOR THEIR LOVED
ONES AND FAMILY MEMBERS. SO
THEY MAY PRESENT TOO LATE AND
PASSED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US
TO POTENTIALLY REVERSE THEIR
SYMPTOMS.
>> WELL, AND I CAN DEFINITELY
SEE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BEING SO
FOCUSED ON GETTING GIFTS AND
OTHER THINGS. YOU’RE NOT
PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR
HEALTH. SO WHAT ARE SOME
WARNING SIGNS OF A HEART
ATTACK?
>> WELL, A HEART ATTACK. MOST
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT CHEST
PRESSURE, CHEST PAIN, BUT THE
PAIN CAN ALSO INVOLVE THE LEFT
ARM AND THE NECK AND JAW. AND
SOMETIMES THERE’S LESS
SPECIFIC SENTENCE OF SHORTNESS
OF THAT HE DIZZINESS OR
LIGHTHEADEDNESS, NAUSEA AND
VOMITING. AND ALTHOUGH SIGNS
COULD TRIP BE WARNING SIGN FOR
OUR TO
>> ARE THOSE SIGNS SIMILAR FOR
STROKE AS WELL?
>> STROKE IS A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT THAN IT REALLY WHICH
BLOOD VESSELS GOING TO THE
BRAIN HAS BEEN IN FALL THE I
TEACH MY PATIENTS AND I’M ON
IT ALL THE FAST. THE B STANDS
FOR SUDDEN ONSET AND BALANCE
OR IN COORDINATION. HE STANDS
FOR SUDDEN ONSET A VISION
CHANGES OR DOUBLE VISION
STANDS FOR SUDDEN ONSET
TROOPING OF THE FACE OR
WEAKNESS ONE SIDE OF THE FACE
STANDS FOR SUDDEN ONSET ARM
WEAKNESS OR LIKE WEAKNESS AND
THAT STANDS FOR SUDDEN ONSET
SLURRED SPEECH OR DIFFICULTY
TALKING. BUT HE JUST MEANS
TIME. IT’S TIME TO CALL 911
AND GET TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT
AWAY. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE
SYMPTOMS.
>> AND WHY IS THAT SO
IMPORTANT TO SEEK CARE SOON?
AS YOU REALIZE, OK, WAIT, WAIT
A SECOND. I MIGHT HAVE ONE OR
2 OF THE SYMPTOMS.
>> WELL, IT’S ABSOLUTELY
ESSENTIAL BECAUSE WE HAVE
EXCELLENT TREATMENTS TO
POTENTIALLY REVERSE THE
SYMPTOMS, BUT THEY ARE HIGHLY
TIME DEPENDENT. SO AS SOON AS
THAT BLOOD VESSEL WAS BLOCKED,
THE CLOCK STARTS. AND IF YOU
PRESENT TOO LATE, WE MAY NOT
HAVE OPTIONS. SO THERE’S
MEDICATIONS THAT CAN BE
ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE EYE.
THE HELP DISSOLVE THE CLOT.
AND THERE’S ALSO PROCEDURES
WHERE OUR SURGEONS CAN GO IN
AND ACTUALLY REMOVE THE CLOT
AND RESTORE BLOOD VESSEL
BEFORE THE PERMANENT DAMAGE
OCCURS.
>> WE’VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT
HOLIDAY HEART SYNDROME, WHICH
AS A CONDITION TRIGGERED BY
ALCOHOL. CAN YOU EXPLAIN A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT IS
EXACTLY?
>> WELL, A HOLIDAY HEART
SYNDROME IT IS IS REALLY ABOUT
A EXCESO EITHER ACCESS FOOD OR
ALCOHOL. SO FOR PEOPLE THAT
HAVE PREEXISTING HEART
DISEASE, PARTICULARLY HEART
FAILURE, SOMETIMES INDULGING
IN TOO MUCH. SALT MAY TIP THEM
OVER AND CREATE IT JUST A PART
FAILURE. EXACERBATION.
SIMILARLY TOO MUCH ALCOHOL CAN
LEAD TO PROBLEMS WITH THE
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION OF
BARKING CAUSING ARRHYTHMIA.
THAT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS,
SUCH AS FIBRILLATION.
>> WOW, THAT IS VERY SHOCKING.
AND I KNOW REALLY HELPFUL,
CRITICAL INFORMATION. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, DOCTOR STEVEN
ENGLISH AND ALL THIS IS LIFE
SAVING INFORMATION THAT COULD
REALLY HELP A LOT OF FAMILIES
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.