Know & manage your risk for ASCVD: Tips from a heart attack / stroke survivor
By Shantaquilette Carter-Williams
Every one of us could be on the verge of a stroke or a heart attack. If you think “I eat well, exercise daily, and I am not at risk at all,” then you’re on the same page I was before suffering a heart attack in 2018.
I was an active, lively lady who paid great attention to what I ate and adopted a healthy lifestyle.
But one day while on my usual run, I felt my heart fluttering. The next thing I knew I had been in a hospital five days and was told I’d had a heart attack. That was a life-changing experience.
After receiving proper treatment, followed by regular checkups by a cardiologist, I returned to my normal daily routines in 2019. But on April 9, 2019, at age 40, I collapsed at work. I was having a stroke.
I spent two years in rehabilitation, including speech, physical and occupational therapy. Nobody can prepare you for the massive journey and roller-coaster ride of emotions involved in a stroke.
Now, I’m on statins (a LDL cholesterol lowering medication). I also exercise daily. The stroke affected the right side of my brain, but I’m not letting my illness affect my daily life. I love to speak at conferences about heart and breast health and create content on TikTok. I love spending time with my children, husband and grandchildren. They keep my heart full of joy and happiness. I’m a true warrior and fighter, living my great life day by day.
Here’s my advice about heart attack and stroke prevention.
Listen to your body: My symptoms were different than the traditional chest pain, numbing in the arm, the headaches. I didn't experience any of those. But I did experience dizzy spells. If something is going on, you need to get it checked out. The reason people end up in more trouble than they should, and with more damage, is that they have symptoms for a long time and ignore them.
Know your family history: Be familiar with your family history when you go to the doctor. Cardiovascular disease can run in the family. I learned afterward that my mom had a heart attack and TIA, or transient ischemic attack, and that stroke ran in my family. My dad is also on a cholesterol lowering medication, which is something he didn’t reveal until after my stroke.
Routine checkups and physical examination: Develop a good relationship with your doctor and schedule routine physical examinations to stay in touch with what’s going on inside your body.
Know your cholesterol numbers and manage them: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which can cause heart attack, stroke or even death, can be caused by high levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C). But there are steps you can take to manage bad cholesterol and lower your risk. Start by getting checked on your overall risk for ASCVD.
Ask the right questions: If you’re feeling anything unusual, be sure to ask your doctor: What’s wrong with me? What do we do about it? What does this mean for me in the long run? You have the right to know about your health state, so always ask.
Visit www.heart.org/cholesterol for more information.
Would you like help dealing with heart or stroke conditions -- either yours or someone else’s? Join us in the AHA’s Support Network! We are an online community of patients, survivors and caregivers where you can share your experience while getting encouragement, hope and informational resources from others who have been there. Membership is free and the benefits can be priceless. Register today.