As moms across America prepare for their children to return to school, updating vaccinations becomes a priority, but vaccinations aren't just for kids. Adults need vaccinations and boosters too. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers specific guidelines. Learn more about vaccinations from the CDC website and how to protect yourself and your family from preventable diseases. Scientists speculate one day there will be a vaccine for the prevention of heart disease. Heart disease, with its build up of plaque in the arteries, is largely preventable through healthy lifestyle choices. While atherogenesis is a chronic condition and a natural part of the aging process, it is a much more acute and serious condition when a younger person's heart is affected who has not had the advantage of age to form a secondary network of blood vessels to the heart muscle- known as "collateral circulation". In a heart attack, the sudden breakage of plaque within the artery wall leads to a cascade of events whereby a blood clot forms that blocks the flow of blood to the heart muscle.  This disturbance of blood flow causes an extreme set of symptoms to surface. Oftentimes, the symptoms mimic severe indigestion because the vagus nerve that is attached to the heart muscle is also attached to the stomach. Valuable time is lost when a person delays responding to symptoms, attributing the episode to eating the wrong food, however second-guessing can cost you your life. Getting to the emergency room is crucial because a heart attack means the heart muscle is dying. "Time Equals Muscle" is the mantra of emergency room staff. Newer treatments, such as emergency angioplasty and clot-busting drugs, can restore blood flow within minutes. Unfortunately, many people do not survive the sudden insult to the heart muscle and die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) even before reaching the hospital. SCA is due to a rhythm disturbance, and not from the actual death of heart muscle tissue. The term "massive heart attack" is often wrongly used in the media to describe sudden death. Learn more about sudden cardiac death. Normal sinus rhythm must be restored quickly. A sharp blow to the chest may help restore the heart's rhythm in an emergency, but more effective is the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). For every one minute after collapse, there is a 10% less chance of survival, so the idea is to immediately begin cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until the emergency responder arrives with a defibrillator. CPR alone has not been shown to be very effective. According to a 3-year study at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, none of the 60 - 70 heart attack victims survived with the usual CPR response by onsite paramedics, versus a 67% survival rate after the airport installed 33 AEDs. Having the devices readily accessible throughout the airport and having trained personnel as well as a trained public made all the difference.  Since the availability of AEDs, the American Heart Association has updated its chain of survival with four links to reviving the heart attack victim: 1, Call 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Team (EMT); 2, Begin CPR -"Pump and Blow"; 3, Employ the AED; 4, Transition the care to the emergency medical response team. More is being done to bring AEDs into the community and WHF will be releasing its new program to join in this prevention effort. Come to the WHF Benefit in Princeton on September 11, being hosted by TruTok - patron of the arts, and learn how you can help. Download an invitation and sponsor form at TrutTok.com or at www.womensheart.org.