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"My neck is killing me''-sound familiar? Pain in the neck, shoulders or arms could be a warning sign of heart disease, which could lead to a coronary, or heart attack. Other sings include pressure or pain in the chest, fullness, dizziness, fainting, swelling, nausea short of breath, anxiety, weakness or fatigue, palpitations, or cold sweat. In the event of a symptom, take an aspirin and call 911 immediately-medical attention is crucial.

According to Dr. Rao Musunuru, cardiologist at the Heart Institute at Regional Medical Center Cardiac at Bayonet Point, FL, patients can keep on top of their heart condition by knowing the risk factors; which include smoking cigarettes, poor diet, emotional stress, and alcohol. Patients should control cholesterol and blood pressure proper diet & exercise (medications are often necessary). Blood cholesterol level and blood pressure testing are the most important routine screenings for heart disease, said Musunuru.
A patient or doctor may see fit for additional testing: such as an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to produce a picture of the heart. The device is passed over the patient's chest and heart to provide a video image, the cardiologist noted.
If a patient's electrocardiogram shows evidence of abnormality, more testing may be performed. A nuclear stress test may include walking on a treadmill to test exercising capacity of the heart and lungs and changes in the cardiogram, said Musunuru.
Other testing includes injecting thallium into the bloodstream to cause the heart muscle to fluoresce. The heart is photographed after the injection, then again hours later. If there is a blockage, the part of the heart with the reduced blood flow doesn't light up, Musunuru said.

* Congenital heart disease, which may be caused by a viral infection such as rubella during the mother's pregnancy, usually occurs prior the baby's birth. However, the family history factor is somewhat controllable, said Musunuru. For example: Imagine identical twins with a family history of heart disease. One sibling keeps fit through diet and exercise; the other doesn't exercise, smokes cigarettes, drinks whole milk and eats cheese. The twin not keeping fit is likely to suffer a heart attack 10 years sooner than the one living a healthier lifestyle, he quoted.

* Ischemic "silent heart attack" can go unnoticed until it shows up sometime later during testing, said Musunuru. Ischemic occurs when narrow arties prevent blood flow to the heart muscle and leaves

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