Shortly after this article was written many citizens in different parts of the country acted upon this activated message. Dr. Henry McIntosh told the story about the woman in Tampa Florida who came into the Emergency Department clutching her Reader's Digest article on this stating

"I got these symptoms" and finding out that indeed she did have early symptoms of a heart attack and was successfully treated.

Not only was this received as a Paul Revere's sounding message but many citizens took the time to write to Reader's Digest letting them know that they had seen and observed these symptoms but had not been fully aware that such chest symptoms were so dangerous. 10,000 replies were recorded in the first six weeks after the article was printed in the February 1997 issue.

Unfortunately, many of the anecdotal stories related to loved ones now not present because such symptoms were not acted upon. This flashback seemed to bring out the adrenaline in such a way that readers promised themselves that never again would they take lightly these chest symptoms. It was as if the guilt from losing someone had ignited a bonfire of personal commitment to save another in honor of one lost.

It is this type of dedication that makes citizens willing to be deputized into action in an all out effort to reduce significantly deaths from heart attacks within the United States.

Heart attacks remain the number one killer of the adult population since the turn of the century. This is being repeated going into the new century.

The Reader's Digest message challenges us to understand that this need not continue as such. Exposing these early symptoms makes heart attack deaths vulnerable. The secret is learning that the Achilles heel of the problem lies in the early stages of a heart attack where mild chest symptoms occur often enough to give it away. What's so vital at this critical moment is that these symptoms be recognized and not be placed on the back burner allowing time to run out like a train coming down the tracks too late for our escape. Click here for Reader's Digest Article

Spend time and read these true stories exposing the chest symptoms that we normally do not act upon but now find them important enough to act decisively. Learn to recognize the EHAC Moment. Click to read these stories.

For your homework read the Reader's Digest article on Jim Lehrer's heart attack and see if you can determine when Jim should have come into the hospital. Click for answer to this question .

Send for your free copy of the Reader's Digest message " How this Story Could Save Your Life" Take it with you and should you ever develop such mild chest symptoms immediately proceed to the nearest hospital's emergency room....... Enter clutching the article to your chest and state to the triage person that you have these symptoms. It's the EHAC Moment of heart attack prevention.