“Sudden Cardiac Death… Could it happen to you?”
On Tuesday, January 24th, the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) launched their annual Heart Month under the theme “Sudden Cardiac Death… Could it happen to you?” From time to time, including very recently, we have seen the unfortunate cases of young athletes dying from sudden cardiac arrest. We have also seen cases of relatively young persons dying suddenly and prematurely from heart attacks. It is therefore timely and important for this theme to be highlighted taking into account recent events, and also considering the fact that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Jamaica.
The event was sponsored by Foska Oats and Welch’s. Speakers for the launch included Dr. Andrene Chung, Consultant Cardiologist and Chair at the Foundation; Dr. Paul Wright, Sports Medicine Specialist at the Foundation; and Mrs. Deborah Chen, Executive Director at the Foundation. Special greetings were delivered and heart month was launched by Dr. Beverly Wright, Acting Director, Health Promotion and Protection at the Ministry of Health.
Attendees were charged by each speaker with the responsibility of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, engaging in physical activity and being screened regularly to prevent and detect risk factors of Sudden Cardiac Death. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is different from heart attack. While heart attack is described as a “plumbing problem,” SCA is more of an “electrical problem” that prevents the heart from functioning effectively. Heart attack can lead to SCA, but there are many other causes, such as congenital abnormalities, severe heart failure, electrocution and drug overdose.
Special emphasis was placed on the importance of learning CPR .CPR provided immediately after a sudden cardiac arrest and/or using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
Screening for cardiovascular diseases is available at The Heart Foundation of Jamaica, 28 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5.