DUBLIN, Ohio — At 60 years old, Kevin Smith of Dublin doesn't look like the person who has been through sudden cardiac arrest and open heart surgery.
But that’s exactly why this kind of heart disease is so dangerous -- it can happen to anyone no matter what shape they're in.
“I've always been into health and fitness and then in 2014 I noticed I was having a hard time catching my breath,” Smith said.
Smith says doctors found out his heart has been weakened by years of going out of rhythm.
“A lot of times it's a silent killer you're not aware until things happen,” he says.
What happened to him was sudden cardiac arrest.
“Fortunately the girlfriend I had at the time gave me CPR. I don't even remember going out. I literally woke up in the hospital eight hours later like where am I? What happened sort of thing,” Smith said.
Smith said he was watching the Bengals game Monday when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed.
He says the tragedy on the field hit home.
“Actually I've had four cardiac arrests in six years,” he says.
He's since undergone open heart surgery to correct an aneurism.
He, like the rest of world, is interested to know what stopped Hamlin's heart.
Was it hereditary, or just a freak accident?
“It's electrical. It will be interesting to see what caused the electrical event,” Smith says.
Smith believes his heart issues maybe hereditary because his father died at age 42 because of his heart.
Dr. Michael Jolly is a cardiologist at OhioHealth Riverside Hospital.
He says he's treated two patients in the past six months who suffered sudden cardiac arrest.
“One had a cardiac arrest at LifeTime Fitness, the other playing tennis. Both were rescued because someone knew how to use a defibrillator,” he said.
Also called an AED, Dr. Jolly says it's something everyone should know how to work.
“As soon as the heart stops, you have one to two seconds. Your brain no longer has blood flow and you just faint,” he says.
A defibrillator is what trainers used to shock Damar Hamlin's heart back into rhythm while on the field.
“Go on YouTube and learn how one of these works because it may be the difference between someone living or dying,” says Dr. Jolly.
As for Kevin Smith, he's had a defibrillator implanted in his chest to ensure his heart doesn't stop again.
He says he knows what Hamlin is going through and prays he has a full recovery.
“I’m sure he doesn't recall anything that happened. It’s a scary event,” he says.
Sudden cardiac death is the largest cause of natural death in the United States.
It causes about 325,000 adult deaths in the nation each year. It’s responsible for half of all heart disease deaths. It occurs most frequently in adults in their mid-30s to mid-40s.
This condition is rare in children, affecting only 1 to 2 per 100,000 children each year.
You can learn more about sudden cardiac arrest here.
