During February the American Heart Association and other organizations raised awareness for heart disease.
They touched on the importance of knowing the difference between cardiac arrest and a heart attack.
According to the association, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly, while a heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked.
A cardiologist from UPMC Hamot explained cardiac illnesses have declined over the last 20 years but are still the number one cause of death for Americans.
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“Since the pandemic, a lot of doctor visits were missed, and a lot of preventative care and routine follow-up care was missed,” said Dr. Ross Peterson, a cardiologist at UPMC Hamot.
Dr. Peterson said your physician should always be your number one cheerleader to improve not only your heart health but your entire well-being.
“Having a good primary care physician relationship that you see on a regular basis so that they can help you keep an eye on these things and if needed, be medications or other recommendations, to help treat those problems,” said Dr. Peterson.