The Link Between Extreme Exercise And Heart Attack:
Research on powerful runners, athletes shows that their heart damage a little bit, and they have risks for heart attack. These minute risks usually go away, but if there is extreme physical stress, this temporary heart risk may lead to permanent and can shape up with heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, it is proved that extreme Exercise can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and sometimes sudden death.
Research
Causes And Risk Factors Of Heart Attacks
Most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease , in which your arteries become narrowed and hardened due to the buildup of a fatty substance called plaque.
Plaque is a combination of fat, cholesterol, and other substances that can build up in the inner lining of your artery walls.
This buildup is known as atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries.”
Blood flow to your heart can become completely cut off or severely reduced when a blood clot gets lodged in any artery that has been previously narrowed by a buildup of plaque.
Less commonly, heart attacks may be caused by a spasm, or tightening, of a coronary artery. Spasms may be related to smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol withdrawal, recreational stimulant drugs, or exposure to extreme cold or stress.
There are three common risk factors for heart disease that can put you at greater risk for a heart attack:
- High blood pressure
Heart Attack Symptoms In Women
Although many people think heart attacks happen mostly to men, heartdisease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. So it’s justas important for women of every age torecognize heart attack signsand seek immediate medical attention.
For the vast majority of people men and women chest pain or discomfortis the primary symptom of a heart attack. However, women are more likelythan men are to have less recognizable heart attack symptoms, such as:
- Pain or discomfort in different parts of the upper body
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
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Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
SCAD is a type of heart attack that happens when the inner lining of a coronary artery tears for no clear reason, slowing or blocking blood flow down the artery.
SCAD can occur in otherwise healthy people who do not have the typical risk factors of heart disease. And according to an article in Clinical Cardiology , about 90% of SCADs happen to women between the age of 30 and 60.
Duration Of A Heart Attack
If you experience symptoms that may indicate a heart attack for longer than five minutes, its important to seek emergency medical attention immediately.
Dont delay treatment by waiting to see if your symptoms go away. Even if your symptoms let up or change, there may be ongoing damage to your heart.
If treatment begins within an hour of the onset of symptoms, a heart attack is less likely to cause significant or long-lasting damage to your heart muscle.
Unfortunately, many people delay treatment for a heart attack by several hours, increasing the risk of long-term disability or death.
Depending on your treatment needs, you may need to be hospitalized for a heart attack for several days or longer.
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Heart With Muscle Damage And A Blocked Artery
A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery. Spasms can occur in coronary arteries that aren’t affected by atherosclerosis.
Heart attacks can be associated with or lead to severe health problems, such as heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats. Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated right away.
Sudden Or Intense Exertion
Getting in shape will protect your heart in the long run, but doing too much could be dangerous. About 6% of heart attacks are triggered by extreme physical effort. And while youve probably heard that exercise is a good way to relieve stress, its especially important not to overdo it when youre angry or upset.
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Women Have Heart Attacks Too
We know that women tend to wait longer before calling 999 after experiencing heart attack symptoms. In the UK, an average of three women die of coronary heart disease every hour, many of them due to a heart attack.You dramatically reduce your chance of survival if you don’t call 999 straight away.
Most heart attacks are caused by coronary heart disease .
CHD causes your coronary arteries to become narrowed by a gradual build-up of fatty deposits called atheroma.
If a piece of atheroma breaks off, a blood clot forms around this to try and repair the damage to the artery wall.
This clot can block your coronary artery either a partial blockage or total blockage . This causes your heart muscle to be starved of blood and oxygen.
Other less common causes of a heart attack include:
- hypoxia .
Know Your Heart Care Options
You cant predict if a heart attack will happen. But knowing where you can get the right heart care is one thing you can do. Our nationally recognized cardiac centers include:
- Regions Hospital Heart Center in St. Paul, MN, is consistently recognized as one of the nations top cardiac centers. Youll get the highest level of care in every situation, starting with emergency treatment all the way through the recovery process.
- Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center, located in St. Louis Park, MN, is nationally recognized for offering outstanding, responsive care for heart attacks and other cardiac conditions. This center is accredited as a Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center by the American Heart Association, so you can expect first-rate treatment, especially in time-sensitive situations.
- Cardiac rehabilitation services are offered across the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. Recovering from a heart attack takes time, but you dont have to go through it alone. We offer personalized cardiac rehabilitation at seven convenient locations, so its easy to get the support you and your heart need.
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Prevent Heart Attacks From Alcohol Addiction
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that ending alcohol abuse would prevent 73,000 arterial fibrillations, lead to 34,000 fewer heart attacks, and contribute to 91,000 fewer people with congestive heart failure who require ongoing treatment.
However, alcohol withdrawal can also cause heart problems, and the stress may lead to a heart attack. It is better to understand moderate drinking if you want to drink at all.
If you worry about how much you drink, or are beginning to suffer serious side effects from drinking too much, our compassionate hotline navigators are on the line 24/7 at Who Answers?
Are The Symptoms Of Heart Attack Different For Women
The most common heart attack symptom for women is pain or discomfort in the chest. Women are more likely to have a heart attack without having any chest pain. Therefore, women should pay close attention to other symptoms of heart attack. These include shortness of breath, sweating, fatigue, and dizziness.
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Getting Help For Cocaine Use
Regular cocaine use increases your risk of a heart attack and stroke. Thats because cocaine can cause damage to your heart almost immediately after you begin using it, and the damage builds the longer you use the drug.
Quitting cocaine doesnt immediately reduce your risk for cardiovascular health problems, since much of the damage can be permanent. However, quitting cocaine can prevent further damage, which reduces your risk for heart-related health issues, such as a heart attack.
If youre a frequent cocaine user, or even if you only use it occasionally, seeking professional help may benefit you. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug. Repeated use can lead to dependence, even addiction. Your body may become accustomed to the effects of the drug, which may make withdrawals more difficult.
Talk with your doctor about finding help to quit the drug. Your doctor may refer you to a substance abuse counselor or a rehabilitation facility. These organizations and people can help you overcome withdrawals and learn to cope without the drug.
SAMHSAs National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-HELP . They offer around-the-clock referrals and assistance any day of the year.
You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. They can help direct you to drug abuse resources and professionals.
Cocaine damages more than your heart. Other health issues the drug can cause include:
Signs And Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
Symptoms of a heart attack can vary greatly from person to person. Theyre likely to be more severe if youre having a major heart attack, in which a blood clot completely blocks an artery leading to your heart.
- Pain or discomfort in your jaw or neck
- Pain or discomfort in your arms, shoulders, or back
- Indigestion or sense of choking
- Sweating, especially a cold sweat
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Sudden chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, but not all people experience it. Some people have only mild symptoms that come on gradually.
Because a heart attack is a medical emergency, dial 911 right away if you experience symptoms that you believe are caused by one.
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Black American Communities And Heart Attacks
While the overall risk of heart disease varies among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, there is less data on heart attacks specifically.
According to the American Heart Association, the rate of cardiovascular disease in Black Americans is about 23 percent higher in men, and 33 percent higher in women, compared with the overall U.S. population.
Non-Hispanic Black Americans have the highest rate of death from heart disease at 208 per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. Next come non-Hispanic white Americans at 169, Hispanic Americans at 114, and Asian Americans at 86.
Researchers have found that among U.S. hospitals with sufficient data, the rate of death from heart attacks in Black patients was nearly identical to that of white patients. But the hospital readmission rate for Black patients was 4.3 percentage points higher than for white patients, according to an investigation published September 2018 in JAMA Open Network.
Questions Remain On Marijuanas Benefits And Risks
Most of the evidence linking marijuana to heart attack and stroke is based on reports from people who smoked it. So it’s hard to separate the effects of cannabinoid compounds on the cardiovascular system from the hazards posed by the irritants and carcinogens contained in the smoke. Because cannabis smoke is known to cause airway inflammation, wheezing, and chest tightness, people with lung diseases should not smoke it. Other people who should just say no to marijuana include those who may be vulnerable to developing schizophrenia or addiction.
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Who Is At Risk For Heart Disease
Health conditions, lifestyle, age, and family history may increase your risk for heart disease. Although men, even at a younger age, have a higher risk for heart disease than women, heart disease is still the number one killer of both sexes . Approximately 735,000 people in the U.S. suffer a heart attack every year. People with a family history of heart disease, who smoke, and who are obese have a higher risk of developing heart disease. About half of all Americans have at least one of three key risk factor for heart disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking. Approximately 80 million people in the U.S. have some form of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in men and women in the U.S.
Can You Have Sex After A Heart Attack
A heart attack can take a toll on your romantic relationships and sex life, but that doesnt mean you should give up on sex afterward.
It may take some recovery time before you can resume sexual activity, and you may need to make certain modifications to your sexual practices.
Impaired sexual function is common after a heart attack, yet many people are reluctant to discuss this problem with their doctor. You may improve your sexual function by working on your overall fitness and endurance.
Many doctors tout the benefits of sex and intimacy for heart attack survivors, such as stress reduction, improved emotional well-being, and lower blood pressure.
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Heart Disease Treatment: Medicines
Advances in medicines that can help reduce the symptoms and slow the damage of heart disease have helped the majority of heart disease patients. Drugs are available to do the following:
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower heartbeat rates
- Lower cholesterol levels to reduce plaque
- Help stabilize abnormal heart rhythms
- Reduce or prevent clotting in coronary arteries
- Improve the pumping ability of a person’s heart with heart disease
- Remove excess fluid from the system and decrease blood volume
Take cardiac medications as prescribed by your doctor to control your condition. Never skip doses of your medications or stop taking them without speaking with your doctor first.
Is Heart Disease Hereditary
There is an increase in the risk of heart attack if a first-degree relative has had a heart attack or stroke. That is mainly seen when the relative has had a heart attack before the age of 45 if they are male, 55 if they are female. Obviously, you cannot change your family history, but a positive history should suggest the need to improve all the other risk factors like stopping smoking and decreasing cholesterol.
If you have a family history of heart disease, it is wise to have your blood cholesterol checked after the age of 18 and regularly thereafter. The patient should also have their blood pressure checked annually as well as tests for diabetes. Perhaps more importantly, one should maintain a healthy lifestyle at any age. That includes no cigarettes, a heart-healthy diet, and regular exercise.
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Types Of Heart Attacks
The scientific term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction or MI for short. There are different kinds of heart attacks, and the severity, diagnosis and treatment for each may be different.
What all heart attacks have in common is that something is preventing oxygen-containing, nutrient-rich blood from getting to the heart muscle. The amount of damage to the heart will depend on the type of heart attack, the severity of blockage and the time it took to get treated.
Heres what you need to know about the types of heart attacks:
How Is Heart Disease Related To Strokes
Heart disease is commonly caused by atherosclerosis , and this process can also cause strokes. Most strokes are due to a blood clot that forms either in the brain or travels from a narrowed artery in the neck. We know that treating risk factors for atherosclerosis can reduce both heart attacks and stroke. For example, cholesterol lowering can reduce the risk of a stroke by about 25 percent.
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Research And Statistics: How Many People Have Heart Attacks
Someone in the United States has a heart attack every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
According to the CDC, 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent, meaning that the person isnt aware of it and doesnt seek immediate medical attention.
About 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack each year, the CDC estimates. Out of these, about 605,000 are the persons first heart attack, while 200,000 are in people who have previously had one.
The average age for a first heart attack is 65.6 for men and 72.0 for women, according to the American Heart Association.
Fewer than 10 percent of heart attacks are fatal, according to Harvard Medical School. This rate has dropped in recent decades, likely due to wider use of treatments in the early stages of a heart attack.
Still, the broader category of heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 647,000 deaths each year, or 1 in 4 deaths.
The burden of heart disease also varies widely across U.S. states and territories. The rate of death from cardiovascular disease is nearly twice as high in Mississippi, which has the highest rate, compared with Puerto Rico, which has the lowest rate. Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana have the next highest rates of death from cardiovascular disease, while Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Hawaii have the next lowest.
Smoking Increases Heart Disease Risk
Many researchers suggest one of the best things a person can do to decrease the risk of heart disease is to stop smoking cigarettes. Smoking increases a person’s risk for heart disease from 2 to about 4 times greater than nonsmokers. Smoking can damage the heart muscle, its blood vessels, can raise blood pressure, increase carbon monoxide levels, and reduce oxygen available to heart tissue.
People who do not smoke but are exposed to second-hand smoke are at greater risk for heart disease than those not exposed to second-hand smoke. Although over 135,000 people die each year from heart disease related to smoking, it is never too late to quit smoking because once you quit, your risk of heart disease begins to drop almost immediately. According to the American Heart Association, there are 480,000 deaths due to smoking-related illnesses in the U.S. every year.
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