It's widely reported that approximately 50 percent of the time, the first symptom of a person's heart issues is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and/or death. I'm sure my case would have been reported as such when I had my own SCA in May 2006 when I was 40. However, six months prior I was having some subtle symptoms that, in hindsight, were telltale signs of my pending fate with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

I'm a fairly active guy with a long-standing swimming routine, and I enjoy the occasional bike ride, yard work and brisk walk with the dog. At 40 though, I was tending to think my age was beginning to catch up with me, as what was easier in the past was now becoming more difficult — maybe a common thought of those folks approaching mid-life. Things were just getting tougher — but hey, I was getting old, right?

So I failed to give the subtle signs their proper weight. My swimming workouts were becoming more arduous with recovery time getting longer. My bike rides were finding me bathing in sweat at the end when before I barely broke a sweat — but hey, it was approaching summer in Arizona, and everyone was getting hot.

In essence, I was just getting old, I was out of shape and just needed to work harder now — or so I thought. What was really happening was that a little piece of plaque at the LAD artery was causing issues during exercise and trying to tell me something. Until one day, while (fortunately) at the pool, that piece of plaque broke loose and blocked the LAD, sending me in to SCA.

Fortunately, the whole survival chain worked for me that day, but that's another story. Afterward was when it became glaringly obvious that the signs were there. Like the aspirin commercial that says, "Your heart attack will arrive tomorrow," it was that obvious — in hindsight.

As we know, SCA can happen to anyone at any time. Those without the telltale lifestyle signs think it won't happen to them. Many are right, but many also ignore the signs, like I did.

Your body speaks to you in a crystal-clear, understandable language. Sometimes, it's subtle, and you have to recognize and act on what is a slightly different feel. Know what your body is telling you. If you ignore the subtle signs, it will speak louder. At some point, it will scream at you and will not be ignored (think SCA). As Rob Lowe says on those DirecTV commercials these days, "Don't be like this me." Do something about those subtle signs.

Unfortunately, the common social stigma — especially among us males — is to avoid healthcare, except in dire emergencies. With SCA, that approach is almost always too late. Taking care of the subtle signs with a scheduled doctor visit at your convenience is much easier and way more pleasant than an unplanned trip to the ER.

We men take better care of our cars than our bodies. You wouldn't go 10,000 miles without an oil change, would you? If your car starts sounding/running funny, you take it to the shop.

Why is your body any different when it starts running funny? Go to the shop. With the consumerism of healthcare, there are new and convenient ways to get those modest issues looked at, from urgent cares to employer-based clinics to the local drug store clinic, and of course your regular physician. I use my local drug store clinic to get a cholesterol check every nine months or so. Of course, any major issues should always default to the ER.

The point is, be aware of what your body is telling you. Those little signs all mean something. And it's never been easier to go get an initial checkup and see what might be going on. Believe me, you don't want to ignore it.