What is CPR?

It is an emergency medical procedure which artificially circulates blood and oxygen throughout the body in the effort to keep the brain and body alive. CPR when administered within four minutes will have a 43 percent survival rate. If administered within four to eight minutes, the rate of survival goes down to ten percent.

• In your lifetime there is a one in seven chance that you may need to administer CPR to someone.
  
  
• In the United States 650,000 people die from heart attack each year.
  
  
• Each year over 350,000 people die before reaching the hospital.
  
  
• When the brain is without oxygen for more than four to six minutes, brain damage or death could occur.
  
  
• There are 500,000 strokes in the United States each year.
  
  
• There are 6,000 drownings and 3,100 airway obstruction incidents in the United States each year.

• Age - risk factors increase with age, however, there is a one in four death rate for people under the age of 65.
  
  
• Sex - incidents of heart attack are lower in women than men.
  
  
• Heredity - genetic background can't be changed.

• Smoking - a person that smokes one pack a day increases their heart attack rate two times over a non-smoker. The stroke rate of a smoker is five times over the rate of a person that does not smoke.
  
  
• Diet - if you have a high cholesterol or high fat diet, it can cause plaque to build up on the artery walls which could cause a restriction of blood flow.
  
  
• Hypertension - One of the major risk factors is high blood pressure. It is possible to control high blood pressure with exercise, diet and medication.

• Stress - People who have a lot of stress in their lives will have a greater risk of stroke or heart attack.
  
  
• Obesity - People who are obese are at a three times greater risk for a heart attack.
  
  
• Lack of exercise - You can reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack if you exercise a minimum of three times a week.