Heart attacks are usually the leading cause of accidents around the world. AEDs (portable defibrillators) can help save lives during a heart attack.
But prevention is always better than cure.
People are encouraged to reduce the risk of having a heart attack and prevent ever becoming a victim of one. It’s important to learn what contributes to a heart attack and the different factors to consider when preventing one.
Is your workplace at risk?
With the use of both clinical studies and statistical studies, a variety of risk factors have been put together and split into two separate groups. The major risk factors, and the preventable risk factors.
Major Uncontrollable Risk Factors of Heart Attacks
Major uncontrollable risk factors are those which you can’t change and are therefore out of your control.
- Age. The majority of those who die from either heart attacks or suffering from heart disease are above the age of 65, and as we know, unfortunately, age isn’t a factor that can be controlled.
- Race. While this is unusual and is something not many people would consider, it’s true. Studies have shown that African Americans are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure which is a contributing risk factor of heart disease.
- Hereditary. If other members of your family have suffered from either heart disease or heart attacks, then there is a higher chance that you too will suffer from these things.
- Sex. Statistical studies have shown that men are more likely to suffer from heart attacks than women, and it the risk of a heart attack can start while men are younger too.
Preventable Risk Factors of Heart Attacks
These risk factors are those which you are able to have an influence on, however, a few of them can aren’t completely in your control.
- Diet and nutrition. As an add-on from diabetes, making sure that you have a healthy diet that provides you with the nutrition your body needs is just as important. These things have an immense effect on your body, including your heart’s health. It’s important to make sure that you have a diet which is full of fish that’s rich with Omega-3, nuts, low-fat foods and antioxidant-loaded berries.
- Tobacco smoking. Smoking has been shown to have dramatic effects on your body, not just heart disease and heart attacks.
- Stress. This contributes to heart attacks a lot. If you are constantly stressed, you’re at risk of having a heart attack. It’s important that you learn to deal with stress or cut whatever is causing the stress out of your lifestyle.
- Physical inactivity. It’s important for preventing heart issues and keeping yourself healthy that you find a way to fit physical activity into your lifestyle. It will not only sustain a healthy blood flow, but it can contribute heavily to preventing heart issues.
- High blood cholesterol. Those who have high blood cholesterol are more likely to suffer from heart disease, especially if it is accompanied by smoking and having high blood pressure.
- Obesity. People who are either overweight or are obese are more likely to suffer from heart attacks or heart disease, as well as other health issues (including strokes). This is due to the increase in pressure that fat puts on the heart and how obesity increases blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Diabetes. Diabetes is common among those who are overweight or obese, however, healthy individuals can be at risk too. If you have an unhealthy diet and don’t take care of yourself, you’re setting a welcome mat for diabetes. Diabetes has an influence on your chance of a heart attack, as well as having a stroke.
- Alcohol. Alcohol contributes to your blood pressure, the more that you consume the higher your blood pressure is. As we said above, this can not only lead to a heart attack, but it can also cause a stroke among other health issues.
- Illegal drugs. Illegal drugs aren’t produced in sterile and safe labs which are run by professional chemists. They are made by people who just want to make a quick buck by selling drugs to people. A lot of illegal drugs contain unhealthy and unsafe chemicals which can contribute to triggering spasms in your heart and arteries, which can go on to cause a heart attack.
Reduce the Risks of Heart Attacks at Your Workplace
If you look above, you can see that there are many risk factors you should consider when taking care of yourself and preventing a heart attack. While there are many of these risks that are out of our control (such as age, sex, etc.), there are just as many factors that are under our control (such as high blood pressure, stress, alcohol consumption, etc.).
Below you can find some tips that will help you reduce the risk of suffering from a heart attack as well as increase your productivity at work.
- Acknowledge the risks of a heart attack. It’s not a simple task to pull off, but the first step that you need to do is acknowledge the risks that contribute to a heart attack and support your employees during the changes you hope to make.
- Plan your intentions. It’s important that before you even make changes, you plan out the changes you hope to make. Putting together a healthier workplace isn’t the easiest task to pull off, take your time and allow your employees to contribute to the planning.
- Make changes to the cafeteria. If you have a business which offers vending machines or a cafeteria, change up what they offer. Rather than an unhealthy menu, switch to a healthier menu.
- Introduce an exercise program. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, this is simple and easy to implement ideas. A lot of people are hoping to keep healthy and get in shape, and what better way to do so than at work! There are no costs in place either unless you take a step further and hire a trainer once or twice a week, so there are no reasons to not do so!
- Make break time changes. Increase the number of break times that your employees receive and increase the length of them too. This will allow them to get some downtime and not be as stressed out, allowing not only for them to stay calm, but be more productive while working.
- Have AED’s and first aid kits installed in your workplace. While a lot of people think, “The chances of them ever being used is very small so what’s the point?”, this is the wrong angle to look at it. Instead, think of how it could one day save someone’s life.
In the unfortunate situation where a heart attack occurs, it’s important for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to be installed in your workplace. They are one of those things in life that we don’t realise how important they are to have around until we have to use them.
Don’t risk a worker’s life, contact Alsco now and get an AED installed within your workplace.
