What you can do to fight heart attack

Did you know that heart attack is one of the top three causes of hospitalisation and death in Singapore? Also known as myocardial infarction, it occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked by fatty deposits in the arteries. Knowing how to recognise and prevent heart attacks could be the difference between life and death.

What are the heart attack symptoms?

Mention a heart attack and one might immediately think of someone clutching their chest tightly in agony. However, in reality, heart attack symptoms vary across individuals and may not always be so obvious or dramatic. For instance, some individuals may experience only mild pain or have seemingly unrelated symptoms like indigestion and nausea. Some may experience telltale signs several hours, days or even weeks before the heart attack, while others may suddenly be gripped by the attack without having had any prior symptoms. Some common symptoms of an impending heart attack are:

• Tightness, pain, pressure or a squeezing sensation in the chest or arms that may radiate to your neck, jaw and back
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, indigestion or heartburn
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness

Who is at risk of heart attack?

This depends on the following risk factors that can include things like age, blood pressure, diet, lifestyle, family history and metabolic syndrome, amongst others. Some common risk factors are:

• Age: Men aged 45 or older and women aged 55 or older are more prone to heart attacks than younger men and women.
• Smoking: Smoking and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke are both risk factors.
• High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels: High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides increase your risk for heart attack.
• Obesity: Obesity is associated with high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Diabetes: Diabetes causes blood sugar levels to remain high, increasing risk of a heart attack.
• Metabolic syndrome: Conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar cause a two-fold increase in risk of getting a heart attack.
• Family history of a heart attack: If your parents, grandparents or siblings have had heart attacks, you may be at risk too.

Lowering the risk of having a  heart attack

Prevention is better than cure. You can reduce your risk of heart attack by doing the following:

• Maintain a healthy diet: Eat balanced meals and avoid foods high in fat, cholesterol and sugar.
• Be active: Exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a day.
• Monitor your cholesterol levels: Ensure that your cholesterol levels are within normal range with regular screenings.
• Avoid smoking: Kick the smoking habit for a healthy heart.
• Limit alcohol: Limit alcohol consumption to one to two glasses in a day.

Apart from affecting you both physically and mentally, a heart attack can cause significant financial distress as well. Like other critical illnesses such as cancer and stroke, a heart attack can cause loss in earnings due to inability to work during the recovery period. Having suitable insurance coverage to supplement your critical illness plan can provide you the financial protection you need, should trouble strike suddenly.

For instance, the FWD Big 3 Critical Illness insurance plan. It covers you for cancer, heart attack and stroke, which make up 90% of all critical illness claims, for as low as 1/3¹ the cost of a regular critical illness plan.  It also offers a one-time full payout upon your claim.

Find out more about how you can get financial protection with FWD Big 3 Critical Illness insurance and get a quote today.