By Dr. S. P. Pradhan on 4th May,2023
Heart attack | Risk factors | Symptoms | Preventive measures
Heart attack in young age is mostly due to change in lifestyle and unhealthy dietary habits. The rising incidence has warranted for change in our lifestyle.
What is young age heart attack?
Normally heart attacks are seen in old age. But now a days the scenario is gradually changing due to our faulty lifestyle and predominance of diabetes. Young age heart attack is defined as heart attack below the 40 years age group. The incidence all over the world is rising fast and the incidence is one in five cases of all heart attacks.
Now the young mass even in their 30’s and 20’s are getting heart attack. India has more instances of young age heart attacks incidence in comparison to the other demographics. In India about 25 percent of heart attacks are seen in below 40 years age group.
The surge in young age incidence attributed to family history of cardiovascular disorders, genetic predisposition.The risk factors attributable are
Diabetes in heart attack
The high sugar level cause more fatty tissue deposition aggravating the high cholesterol level. The high cholesterol level causes plaque formation in arteries or blood vessels supplying the heart known as atherosclerosis.
This leads to narrowing of blood vessels and compromising the blood flow to heart resulting in heart attack. The incidence of heart attack increases two to three fold in patients with diabetes or high cholesterol.
High blood pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure decreases the compliance of the blood vessels aggravating the heart attack. It adds on the negative effects of diabetes or high cholesterol.
High cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia
It is the most notorious risk factor for heart attack. As we have discussed earlier, high cholesterol leads to plaque formation in blood vessels suppling the heart, narrowing the arteries and aggravating the thromboembolic phenomenon.
Increased alcohol consumption
Stress
It increases cortisol level in our body which further deteriorates rising blood sugar levels and aggravates diabetes.
Smoking
Smoking aggravates hypertension and atherosclerotic process.
Increase consumption of trans fats, fast foods
Due rapid change in lifestyle and economic activities, people are more relying on junk foods. Junk foods not only aggravate diabetes or high cholesterol level, but also increases the incidence of heart attack, stroke.
Obesity
Prevention of childhood obesity included in the primordial prevention and resurgence of cardiovascular disease in adults. Obesity is home to all metabolic syndromes like diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
Risk factor in women
Women taking birth control pills are at risk as they aggravate hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
Symptoms of heart attack
- Sudden stabbing or squeezing type of pain over heart or epigastrium. Sometimes pain radiates to neck, jaw and back
- Dizziness with breathlessness
- Lightheadedness with cold sweating
- Nausea may be associated
- If any person having any risk factors with such symptoms should immediately consult the physician for timely intervention and early recognition.
Preventive measures include
- Control of blood sugar, serum cholesterol: Quarterly check up of these parameters are necessary for those with risk factors.
- Regular blood pressure measurements and effective treatment: Chronic blood pressure adds woes to all heart diseases.
- A health diet full of nuts, fruits and vegetables: Vegetables and nuts are full of anti-oxidants and omega fatty acids which control metabolic syndromes and high cholesterol level.
- Control of obesity and maintain BMI(body mass index)in normal limits
- Regular exercise : At least 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise is needed to keep our heart healthy.
- Avoid stress : Stress deteriorates body metabolism and aggravates diabetes.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol
- Decrease salt intake
