Sunday, March 24, 2024

Causes Of Heart Attacks In Young Adults

Don't Miss

Too Much Of Anything Does More Harm Than Good To The Body Says Yash Birla

Study finds link between cannabis use and heart attacks in young people

He suggests everyone treat their body like a temple and take good care of it. He talks more about this in his upcoming book, which is about to be released soon.

Sometimes persons are born with improperly linked heart arteries . During physical activity, the arteries might become obstructed, preventing normal blood flow to the heart.

What Causes A Heart Attack

The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease. This is when your coronary arteriescannot carry enough oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. Most of the time, coronary artery disease happens when a waxy substance called Plaque builds up inside your arteries, causing the arteries to narrow. The buildup of this plaque is called atherosclerosis. This can happen over many years, and it can block blood flow to parts of your heart muscle. Plaques that narrow arteries slowly over time cause angina.

Eventually, an area of plaque can break open inside your artery. This causes a blood clots to form on the plaques surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can block blood flow to your heart. If the blockage isnt treated quickly, a part of your heart muscle begins to die.

Figure A shows damage caused by a heart attack. Figure B shows the coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot.

Heart Disease: It Can Happen At Any Age

Heart disease doesnt happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages.

Heart diseaseand the conditions that lead to itcan happen at any age.

High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life.

Nearly half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.1,2

Learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart.

Don’t Miss: What Is Ideal Resting Heart Rate

Healthcovid Cases Are Rising Among Teens Schools Are Stepping Up To Vaccinate Them

Myocarditis is condition that involves inflammation of the heart muscle. Symptoms can include fever and fatigue, as well as shortness of breath and a very specific type of chest pain. Patients tend to say their chest hurts more when they lean forward. The pain tends to abate when they lean back.

When needed, treatment may involve anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and in some cases, an intravenous medication called IVIG.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Generally, children who have myocarditis will follow up with a cardiologist for about six months to make sure there are no other significant problems. Most cases are generally mild and go away on their own.

Vaccine safety experts are always on the lookout for a range of possible side effects following any new vaccine. Despite the increased number of reported myocarditis cases among young people, Shimabukuro said, no major red flags have been identified.

Still, the higher-than-normal incidence is worthy of further scrutiny. The CDC will hold a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 18 to further look at the evidence and assess the risk of myocarditis following vaccination.

Until definitive links are made, health officials overwhelmingly recommend Covid-19 vaccinations for everyone ages 12 and older.

Healthy Eating And Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Coronary Artery Disease: Causes and Risk Factors

Eating a variety of foods is good for our health and can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease.

The Heart Foundation recommends people follow a heart-healthy eating pattern:

  • Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains.
  • Include a variety of healthy protein-rich foods, especially fish and seafood, legumes , nuts and seeds. Eggs and poultry can also be enjoyed as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. If you eat red meat, choose lean cuts and limit to one to three times per week.
  • Choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol, choose reduced fat varieties.
  • Include healthy fats and oils. Choose nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking.
  • Add herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt.

This way of eating is naturally low in unhealthy fats, salt and added sugar. Its rich in wholegrains, fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Check out the Heart Foundation website for a range of resources to help you follow a heart-healthy eating pattern.

For individualised nutrition advice, you can also speak to an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

  • keep your bones and muscle strong
  • make you feel more confident, happy and relaxed
  • help you to sleep better.

If you have had a heart attack, regular physical activity will help you to recover more quickly. If you have diabetes, it will also help you to manage your blood sugar levels.

Also Check: What Should My Heart Rate Be To Lose Weight

Researchers Say 7 Factors Drive Most Heart Attacks In Young Adultsespecially In Women

  • The proportion of heart attacks in young women is increasing.
  • Researchers have found the top risk factors for young women to develop a heart attack.
  • Modifying these risk factors should lower your overall risk of heart attack.

New research has identified risk factors that are the most likely to trigger a heart attack, also known as an acute myocardial infarction , for men and women aged 55 and under. The study also teased out important sex differences in risk factors associated with heart attacks.

The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 2,264 patients between the ages of 18 and 55 with heart attacks, along with 2,264 people from a control group.

The researchers found that young men and women typically have different risk factors for heart attacks.

An increasing proportion of people in the U.S. hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction are younger than 55 years, with the largest increase in young women, the researchers wrote. Effective prevention requires an understanding of risk factors associated with risk of AMI in young women compared with men.

Lead study author Yuan Lu, ScD, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, told Verywell that the overall risk of heart attack in young people is generally low. However, she added, incidents in young women are increasing and they have a worse prognosis.

Cholesterol And Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance produced naturally by your body. The body needs cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D and to build cells. Everyone has cholesterol, but too much means plaque can build up in the coronary arteries. This can make it harder for blood and oxygen to reach the heart and brain, which can increase the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

High cholesterol is mainly caused by eating foods high in saturated and trans fats.

Your total cholesterol includes two types of cholesterol:

  • Low-density lipoprotein also known as bad cholesterol because it can add to the build-up of plaque in your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
  • High-density lipoprotein also known as good cholesterol because it helps to protect you against heart attack and stroke.

Most of the total cholesterol in your blood is made up of bad LDL cholesterol. Only a small part is made up of good HDL cholesterol.

You should aim for low LDL cholesterol and higher HDL cholesterol. Your doctor will check your cholesterol levels as part of a Heart Health Check and will discuss what cholesterol levels you should aim for. They can also refer you to an Accredited Practising Dietitian for dietary advice.

Blood pressure is the pressure on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood around your body. Blood pressure depends on two main things: the amount of blood pumped by your heart and how easily the blood can flow through your arteries.

Also Check: How To Reduce Resting Heart Rate

Other Causes Of A Heart Attack

Not all heart attacks are caused by blockages from atherosclerosis. When other heart and blood vessel conditions cause a heart attack, it is called myocardial infarction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease . MINOCA is more common in women, younger people, and racial and ethnic minorities, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian people.

Conditions that can cause MINOCA have different effects on the heart.

Other conditions may cause symptoms similar to a heart attack. Your doctor will look at all of your test results to rule them out.

Heart Attacks Are Becoming More Common In Younger People Especially Women

Heart attacks are increasing among young people in their 20s and 30s

Heart attacks once characterized as a part of old mans disease are increasingly occurring in younger people, especially women, according to new research.

The study presented Sunday at the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions meeting in Chicago and published in the AHA journal Circulation, sought to investigate heart attacks in the young, a group frequently overlooked in cardiovascular research.

Past research has shown heart attack rates in the U.S. have declined in recent decades among 35- to 74-year-olds. But for the new study, researchers wanted to look specifically at how many younger people were having heart attacks.

They included data from a multi-state study of more than 28,000 people hospitalized for heart attacks from 1995 to 2014. The results showed 30 percent of those patients were young, age 35 to 54.

More importantly, they found the people having heart attacks were increasingly young, from 27 percent at the start of the study to 32 percent at the end.

Cardiac disease is sometimes considered an old mans disease, but the trajectory of heart attacks among young people is going the wrong way. Its actually going up for young women, said Dr. Sameer Arora, the studys lead author. This is concerning. It tells us we need to focus more attention on this population.

Piña and Arora both said they would like to see women better represented in future studies on heart disease.

Dont Miss: Is Tylenol Bad For Your Heart

Don’t Miss: How Long After Shoveling Snow Can You Have A Heart Attack

Heart Attacks Are On The Rise In Patients Aged 20

Not long ago, heart attacks were primarily a problem faced by older adults. It was rare for anyone younger than 40 to have a heart attack. Now 1 in 5 heart attack patients are younger than 40 years of age.

Heres another troubling fact to highlight the problem: Having a heart attack in your 20s or early 30s is more common. Between the years 2000-2016, the heart attack rate increased by 2% every year in this young age group.

Your outlook isnt better following a heart attack just because youre younger. Patients who have a heart attack in their 20s or 30s face the same risks as older patients. Once you have that first heart attack, you have the same chance of dying from a second major heart event or a stroke regardless of your age.

How Common Are Heart Attacks In Young People

Its alarming to think that a heart attack can come out of the blue, even in younger, seemingly healthy people.

Thanks to lower rates of smoking, the number of Australians with heart disease is falling. Eastern Heart Clinics Medical Director Assoc Professor Nigel Jepson says having a heart attack is less likely in younger people, but heart disease is becoming an increasing problem for people aged 45 to 55.

More than 9,000 Australians aged under 55 experience a heart attack each year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Coronary heart disease which can lead to heart attack is the leading cause of death in Australia. Heart attacks cause almost one in 20 deaths in Australia, and men are twice as likely to die from the disease than women.

Associate Professor Jepson explains the symptoms to look for and how to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Don’t Miss: What To Do In Case Of A Heart Attack

Lack Of Oxygen In The Blood

If levels of oxygen in the blood decrease due to carbon monoxide poisoning or a loss of normal lung function, the heart will receive un-oxygenated blood.

This will result in the heart muscles being damaged, triggering a heart attack.

Page last reviewed: 28 November 2019 Next review due: 28 November 2022

Heart Attack In Young Age: Whos The Culprit

Heart attack patients taken directly to heart centers have better long ...

Cardiac arrests were once considered as an old man disease but the dynamics seem to have changed over the period of time. According to research, sudden cardiac arrest is becoming a leading cause of death in young adults.

We live in a country where diabetes, high blood pressure & cholesterol are common health issues. At times, it becomes hard to tell what the real problem is. But heres what can increase the chances of a heart attack-

#1.Busy schedules, long working hours, and peer pressure in professional life barely give people space to pay attention to their personal health.

#2. To cover up the stress of a high-voltage lifestyle, young adults especially, find a temporary escape by adopting abusive habits like smoking, alcohol, unrestricted supplements , and drugs without knowing their adverse effects.

#3.Dont avoid family history! It might increase your risk of developing heart disease in various ways. You could’ve inherited genes that cause heart disease.

According to research, the top 10 causes of a heart attack in young people are:

  • Substance abuse or excessive alcohol use.
  • Recommended Reading: What Is The Normal Resting Heart Rate For A Woman

    Overweight And Obesity Are Key Players In Heart Attacks

    Being overweight has a significant influence on your risk of having a heart attack for several reasons. For starters, carrying extra weight places a high demand on your heart. Obesity alone makes you more likely to have a heart attack even if youre otherwise healthy.

    However, patients who are overweight and obese often have other health conditions that detract from their heart health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

    American Heart Association News Stories

    American Heart Association News covers heart disease, stroke and related health issues. Not all views expressed in American Heart Association News stories reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Statements, conclusions, accuracy and reliability of studies published in American Heart Association scientific journals or presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the American Heart Associations official guidance, policies or positions.

    Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Permission is granted, at no cost and without need for further request, for individuals, media outlets, and non-commercial education and awareness efforts to link to, quote, excerpt or reprint from these stories in any medium as long as no text is altered and proper attribution is made to American Heart Association News.

    Other uses, including educational products or services sold for profit, must comply with the American Heart Associations Copyright Permission Guidelines. See full terms of use. These stories may not be used to promote or endorse a commercial product or service.

    Read Also: Is Heart Rate The Same As Blood Pressure

    What Are The Reasons For Higher Incidences Of Heart Attacks In Youngsters

    The number one reason for heart attack in almost 8 out of 10 cases, is a blockage in the heart in the other 20% of cases, there could be a different reason.

    A clot in the lungs can stop oxygen to the heart and can lead to cardiac arrest.

    Intake of toxic drugs in large amounts can stop heart functions suddenly.

    Sometimes, even viral infections like COVID-19 can lead to cardiomyopathy .

    In some cases, undetected congenital heart defects can manifest abruptly and lead to heart attacks.

    Ways To Take Control Of Your Heart Health

    High Blood Pressure In Young Adults Could Lead To Heart Disease

    Youre in the drivers seat when it comes to your heart. Learn how to be heart-healthy at any age.

    Dont smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.

    Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed. Learn more about preventing and managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

    Make heart-healthy eating changes. Eat food low in trans fat, saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. Learn more about how to reduce sodium.

    Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week.11 You can even break up the exercise into 10-minute blocks for a total of 30 minutes in a day. Learn more about how to get enough physical activity.

    Don’t Miss: Can Bang Energy Drinks Cause Heart Attacks

    What Is A Heart Attack

    Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort Shortness of breath Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.

    A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when a part of the heart muscle doesnt get enough blood.

    The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart muscle.

    Coronary artery disease is the main cause of heart attack. A less common cause is a severe spasm, or sudden contraction, of a coronary artery that can stop blood flow to the heart muscle.

    More articles

    Popular Articles