High performance sport and the heart 1:21
(CNN) --
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the leading cause of death in the United States.
It was estimated to have caused the death of 17.9 million people in 2019, representing 32% of all deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization.
But not all heart disease is the same.
They can affect the blood vessels leading to the heart or brain, the muscles and valves of the heart, and other areas of the body.
Cardiovascular diseases may require long-term treatment, or come on suddenly and severely.
Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin, 24, went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the first quarter of Monday night's game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, his team said.
It is not clear what caused the cardiac arrest.
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What is a cardiac arrest?
Cardiac arrest is the result of electrical disturbances that cause the heart to suddenly stop beating properly.
In the event of cardiac arrest, death can occur rapidly if immediate action is not taken.
"Cardiac arrest can be reversed if CPR is performed and a defibrillator shocks the heart and restores a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes," according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
According to the AHA, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States.
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A sudden and unexpected loss of heart function also causes a sudden loss of breathing and consciousness.
Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, although almost any known heart condition, including heart attack, can cause the heart to stop.
Another emergency that can lead to cardiac arrest is commotio cordis, a disturbance in heart rhythm following a blow to the area directly above the heart at a key moment in the heartbeat cycle.
It is rare, but occurs mostly in boys and young men during sports.
The American Heart Association states that it is the leading cause of death in youth baseball in the United States, typically two to three a year.
Automated external defibrillators have helped increase the survival rate.
What happens when an apparently healthy athlete has a cardiac arrest?
What is a heart attack?
Unlike cardiac arrest, a heart attack is a circulation problem.
When circulation is blocked or interrupted in some way and blood stops reaching the heart muscle, the heart muscle can be damaged;
This is what is often described as a “heart attack” and doctors call it a myocardial infarction.
The blockages that cause heart attacks are mainly due to the accumulation of plaque in the arteries.
Plaque forms when cholesterol combines with fat, calcium, and other substances in the blood.
Combined, these elements harden and form plaque, which can rupture and cause a blood clot to form.
Large clots can completely block blood flow through an artery.
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Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of Atria New York City and associate professor of clinical medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, previously told CNN: "People at risk of having a heart attack are those with a family history of heart attack, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, lack of exercise, smoking... are the main risk factors we always talk about".
Another, less common cause of a heart attack is a spasm caused by smoking or possibly illicit drugs, such as cocaine, which disables the heart muscle, according to the AHA.
A tear in the artery, although rare, can also cause a heart attack.
Heart attacks can be fatal, but they do not automatically lead to death.
Immediate emergency medical help can prevent a serious outcome.
“If you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911. Don't wait,” Goldberg says, explaining why it's important to go to the hospital in an ambulance instead of driving a family member or friend: An ambulance is equipped to offer treatment on the way to the hospital.
The usual warning signs of a heart attack are chest discomfort or pain;
discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as pain in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach;
and shortness of breath.
Other possible signs are cold sweat, nausea, or dizziness.
In general, heart attacks are more common than cardiac arrests in the United States.
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What is heart failure?
Heart failure is a disease that occurs when the heart, essentially a pump, cannot effectively push blood through the arteries and circulatory system to the other organs and tissues of the body.
Congestive heart failure, a worsening of this general state, means that blood flow from the heart through the arteries has slowed, while the blood returning to the heart through the veins has started to back up and, combined, they cause congestion—a congestion of blood traffic—in the tissues of the body.
The result is edema, or swelling, usually in the legs and ankles, although it can occur anywhere on the body.
Heart failure also affects the kidneys' ability to remove water and sodium, causing even more swelling.
When pulmonary edema occurs, fluid builds up in the lungs and interferes with breathing.
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Conditions that can cause heart failure include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease: when plaque builds up on the walls of the arteries, causing them to narrow and making it harder for them to pump blood.
Heart failure is a disease that must be treated to prevent a life-threatening heart attack, but it is not as immediately fatal as a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Damar HamlinHeart diseaseCardiac arrest
