As the leading cause of death in the United States, heart disease kills more than 650,000 Americans each year on average and chest pain is one of the most common symptoms of heart disease. That pain could be angina, caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, or it could be a sign of a heart attack. Dr. Oyidie Igbokidi, an interventional cardiologist at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas in Hot Springs, explains that the key is recognizing your symptoms to determine whether or not a visit to the hospital is needed.

“If it’s presenting with greater than mild symptoms or new and escalating symptoms, you should definitely call 911,” said Dr. Igbokidi. “Time is muscle. The sooner you come in, the more heart muscle we can preserve.”

High blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes and obesity are just a few of the factors that increase the risk of heart disease. To learn more about treating heart disease and the wide range of services provided by our team of cardiologists and heart surgeons at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute, visit chistvincent.com/heart.