Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA - 34

34

Anyone Can
Help Save a Life

ONLY 8 PERCENT of Americans
survive cardiac arrest outside of
a hospital. But that percentage
could increase significantly if
bystanders recognize cardiac
arrest (when the heart suddenly
stops pumping) and perform simple lifesaving tasks, a UVA Health
physician says.
UVA emergency medicine
physician William J. Brady, MD,
co-authored an article in the New
England Journal of Medicine that
highlights a few steps anyone
without extensive medical training-in some cases, little to no
training-can do to help.
"Early emergency care by the
bystander, long before emergency
medical providers arrive, can save
a life," Dr. Brady says. "This care
is as important as more advanced
care by EMTs, nurses and doctors."
Recognize the signs of
cardiac arrest (see "Act on it"
below) and quickly call 911.
Begin cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) using
chest compressions.
If available, use an automated
external defibrillator (AED), which
guides the user on when to shock
the person to restart the heart.

ACT ON IT

Know what to do during
a cardiac arrest.
If you spot a person who is unconscious and not breathing normally,
you should suspect cardiac arrest.

Start pushing hard and fast
(100-120 beats per minute).
The American Heart Association
endorses hands-only CPR, so you
don't have to breathe into the
person's mouth.

PEOPLE WHO DRINK
two glasses of soft drinks
daily have a 17 percent
higher risk of death
than those who drink
less than one glass per
month, according to
a study in the journal
JAMA Internal Medicine.
Higher consumption of any type of soft
drink-those sweetened
either by sugar or artificial sweeteners-raised
the risk of death from
all causes.
Drinking artificially
sweetened soft drinks
was linked to risk of
death from circulatory

1

daily sugary
beverage can
result in

5

pounds of weight
gain in a year if
calories aren't
cut from other
areas of your diet
Source: Harvard
T.H. Chan School
of Public Health

disease, while sugarsweetened soft drinks
were linked to risk of
death from digestive diseases. Sugar-sweetened
drinks can cause hyperglycemia-an elevated
blood sugar level-that
alters gut function and
increases the risk of
infection. Also, the type
of sugar used in soft
drinks can lower insulin sensitivity.
The study included
data from more than
450,000 people from
10 European countries
who were followed for an
average of 16 years.

Replace soft drinks with other options.
Water is the best choice. If you don't like to drink it plain,
infuse it with fruits and herbs for variety. If you prefer a
drink with caffeine, stick to tea or coffee without adding
much-or any-sugar.
ACT ON IT

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

Place your hands in the center
of the person's chest.

New Reasons to Put Down the Soda

SUMMER 2020 VIM & VIGOR

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Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA

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