Heart surgeon shares ‘red flag’ sign that could cause ‘massive heart attack’
A heart surgeon has revealed that there's an everyday sign which could indicate that you're more at risk of a heart attack.
Dr Jeremy London, who is known for his health-related social media content, is an experienced cardiovascular surgeon with expertise in recognising heart attack symptoms, cardiac blockages, and emergency interventions, based in Georgia, US.
In the past, London has shared the mistakes he made before suffering a heart attack himself, claiming that he ignored the signs while they were happening in real-time.
He experienced low energy, fatigue, and occasional heartburn-like symptoms while hunting with his son and while in a deer stand, he was hit with a sharp chest pain, a sign of cardiac ischemia.
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The doctor also revealed the 'top three preventable risk factors' which can cause death, as 'smoking, poor diet, and high blood pressure'.
He has now explained in a YouTube video, that there's one piece of 'life-saving advice' which could save someone's life.
Dr London can be seen working out as his son comes in with a camera, asking: "What's one piece of life-saving advice that could prevent someone from having a massive heart attack?"
The medical professional: "Well, if you get chest pain or shortness of breath with exertion that's relieved with rest, this is a red flag.
"Now, I'm not talking about running a marathon. I'm talking about basic activities of daily living, taking out the trash, going up a flight of stairs, because what's happening is with an important blockage, as you exert yourself, the heart muscle below is not getting enough oxygen and nutrients," he clarified.
The American health expert said that when you sit down after this, your heart rate usually comes down, with symptoms being reduced.
Dr London further explained: "Now, most people just shrug this off as 'I'm getting older' or they scale their lifestyle. They park closer at the grocery store. They take the elevator. But these are warning signs.
"You need to have some intellectual honesty about what your body is telling you. And remember, denial is not a river in Egypt," he concluded, in a warning to those who should be seeing a specialist where possible.
He has previously described high blood pressure as the 'silent killer', explaining that 'one in two' are affected in the US despite many not knowing that they have it.
Dr London explained that having a weak heart can mean that you'll experience a number of health issues later in life, highlighting that 'heart function is the single most important determinant of how patients do with surgery'.
He highlighted that those with stronger hearts often do better than patients with weak hearts in surgery, with there being a number of ways to identify if your heart is struggling.
In a previous video, the doctor said: "Shortness of breath when walking, the inability to lay flat and breath comfortably and swollen legs. All the signs of many different heart conditions should be red flags."
Joshua Nair