A heart attack attacks younger and younger people

Proven content

As reported during the nationwide cardiology conference in Warsaw, there are about 73 registered in Poland every year. heart attacks! The frequency of heart attacks occurring before the age of 45 is estimated at 10 percent. all heart attacks. The vast majority are men, but there is a tendency to increase the number of heart attacks also in young women, which constitute approx. 20% of the population. patients with a heart attack before the age of 55.

1. Heart attacks increasingly affect young people – more often men, but also women
2. Obesity, hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, lack of physical activity, poor diet, not coping with stress, stimulants (cigarettes, cocaine, legal highs) are risk factors
3. Infarction at a younger age has a more difficult course due to the lack of protection of collateral circulation, thanks to which ischemia is less

– If we imagine a 27-year-old (but also a 27-year-old) who smokes 40 cigarettes a day, is deprived of any movement, leads a sedentary lifestyle and has atherosclerosis, it should not be surprising that heart attacks affect younger and younger ones – alarms Prof. dr hab. n. med. Artur Mamcarz, head of the XNUMXrd Department of Internal Diseases and Cardiology of the Medical University of Warsaw, expert of the campaign «Pressure for Life. First aid in heart attack ». The doctor says directly that the use of cocaine or legal highs is highly risky for health, because in a healthy vessel, in a healthy artery, a blood clot can appear, which is a huge threat to life.

Symptoms of heart attack

1. pain located most often behind the sternum, sometimes between the shoulder blades, lasting longer than 15 minutes, described as burning, tearing, crushing, stretching – very rarely stinging,
2. shortness of breath and fatigue,
3. pain radiating to the left hand, shoulder, jaw, back,
4. less frequent symptoms (the so-called «abdominal mask» of myocardial infarction):
5. abdominal pain;
6. vomiting;
7. stomach discomfort.

Accompanying symptoms: paleness, profuse sweat, palpitations, slow heart beat, low blood pressure, feeling anxious.

Read also:

1. The work of the heart and its disorders. What are the most common heart diseases?
2. First aid for heart attack and stroke

Heart attack – what is it?

A heart attack is an irreversible damage to a fragment of the heart muscle. It usually results from ischemia or a sudden occlusion of an artery. A cardiovascular incident is the most serious consequence of atherosclerosis, which is a long-term process with varying degrees of intensity. It is when too much cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries. The immediate cause of the infarction is the rupture of the unstable atherosclerotic plaque and the formation of a thrombus on its surface, which completely obstructs the vessel’s lumen. This leads to a clot and obstruction of the artery, and thus to blocking the blood flow to a given area of ​​the heart muscle. The consequence is irreversible necrosis of a fragment of the heart muscle, i.e. tissue death in some area of ​​the heart. This means that this part of the heart does not function properly, not only not fulfilling its basic functions, but also posing a direct threat to the health and life of the patient.

Risk factors

These are primarily: poor diet, age, stimulants (nicotine, alcohol, drugs, boosters), obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise (or irregular activity), high blood lipids (cholesterol), congenital coagulation disorders, previous cardiological procedures, also inadequate coping with stress, lack of health monitoring, or ignoring obvious symptoms of deteriorating health.

– Heart diseases most often affect people who lead an unhygienic lifestyle and people who consume highly processed foods. A diet low in vegetables and fruit, and rich in low-quality fatty meat, canned food, and simple sugars is a short way to atherosclerosis. People who work intensively, often physically, who do not invest in good-quality food or do not have such an opportunity, smoke cigarettes and avoid physical activity constitute the largest group of patients with the most frequent cardiological incidents – explains Dr. n. med. Marcin Grabowski, cardiologist, expert of the campaign «Pressure for Life. First aid in heart attack ». The doctor explains that in the event of a heart attack in a young person, there is a high risk that the heart attack will be associated with cardiac arrest and pre-hospital death. This is not a rule, of course, but there is such a paradox that for patients who have had heart disease or diabetes for many years, collateral circulation develops. However, in a young patient, when the atherosclerotic plaque suddenly ruptures, which previously did not cause pain or ischemia, the vessel may completely close. Thus, when the vessel closes, a large area of ​​the heart muscle is excluded from contractile function, resulting in cardiac arrest.

Research shows that men clearly predominate among young heart attackers. After the age of 65, women “catch up” with men (reason: menopause – loss of the estrogen umbrella and other factors common to both men and women). Heart attacks at an early age (40-54 years of age) are about 13,8 percent! On the other hand, the frequency of heart attacks in people under 45 is estimated at approximately 10%. all cases of heart attacks. The same statistics show that the vast majority of patients are men, but there is a tendency to increase the number of heart attacks also in young women, which account for approx. 20 percent. patients with a heart attack before the age of 55.

Prof. Artur Mamcarz describes features of a young heart attack: is a workaholic, leading an unhygienic lifestyle, characterized by, among others: improper diet, sedentary lifestyle, using stimulants (tobacco, cocaine, legal highs); is a man who cannot cope with long-term stress, ignoring evident disturbing symptoms.

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Also read: The 10 Most Common Cardiovascular Diseases

Ineffective coping with long-term stress and workaholism

Stress is not a key risk factor, but not coping well enough! The risk factor is that a person has no support and is unable to cope with it, then they wander into various things, such as drugs, addictions. Work that brings satisfaction, contentment, enables development, will not cause the development of atherosclerosis and infarction. The situation will be different when the work performed is associated with negative emotions, tense interpersonal relationships, lack of support, deprivation, and the inability to be realized.

Permanent fatigue with overwork

If there are absurd situations and someone works 30 days a month, several hours a day, the risk of a heart attack increases. In such a situation, the body cannot withstand sympathetic stimulation and the mechanisms of adaptation are exhausted. So, for example, in the military, police, air traffic control, where there is a lot of responsibility, where sympathetic activity is intense, where the need for constant alertness is required, work shorter hours. The work itself is not a risk factor for a heart attack, but the accompanying factors – yes! A great example is the Japanese, who have the highest levels of life and occupational stress – they work very long and intensively, but at the same time are the nation with the longest life span – 90 years for women and 85 years for men. heavy workload, but also in reducing factors such as obesity or unhealthy eating. It is important not to justify your obesity, smoking, inactivity, not treating high blood pressure or hypercholesterolaemia with your job, but to minimize the key factors that directly translate into an increased risk of a heart attack!

Also read: Heart neurosis

Unhygienic lifestyle

Obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, untreated high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, smoking, cocaine and high-risk drugs are all risk factors for your health.

Lack of physical activity, but also extremely intense effort

A sedentary lifestyle – lack of exercise and backbreaking hours spent in the gym do not lead to health! Sudden and drastic changes and extreme physical stress are not favorable for the heart. Playing sports of moderate intensity is beneficial for both your heart and your mental health. Exercises should be tailored to the individual patient. The heart does not like to push boundaries. When the limits are exceeded, the heart risk is higher.

Stimulants (nicotine, drugs, boosters)

A huge problem in the context of an increased risk of a heart attack is not only the lack of physical activity, but also smoking, which affects every sphere of life. Cigarettes not only increase blood pressure, but are also a direct cause of arteriosclerosis, blood clots and embolism, and thus also heart attacks and strokes. There is also a new problem in the context of heart attacks in young people – the use of cocaine and legal highs. In these cases, a blood clot may form in a healthy vessel in a healthy artery.

Also read: Heart failure is an epidemic of the XNUMXst century

Incorrect diet

A diet low in vegetables and fruits, and rich in fatty, poor-quality meat, canned food is a straightforward way to atherosclerosis. The heart doesn’t like high glucose levels. Sugar is a quick reward for the body, and exercise takes a long way to activate the endorphin mechanism. The heart does not like obesity because it has to supply more tissue with blood. Obesity and inactivity are the main causes of type 2 diabetes, which affects younger and younger people. However, it is a preventable disease.

Ignoring obvious disturbing symptoms

Chest pains, shortness of breath, poor exercise tolerance, a feeling of heart palpitations, but a bit perversely it can be written that weight gain is not noticed or ignored.

Undeveloped collateral circulation

It happens that infarction at a younger age has a more difficult course due to the lack of protection of the collateral circulation, thanks to which the ischemia is less. The collateral circulation allows for a replacement blood supply to the heart. Thanks to it, there is no necrosis of the heart muscle. It is formed over the course of life, so the younger a person, the less chance that the collateral circulation will be able to provide additional blood supply in a situation where the vessel lumen is completely closed, i.e. after a heart attack.

Warning

In the event of the first symptoms of a heart attack, we have an influence on what is happening – the infarction does not occur within a minute, but usually in an hour. If we react quickly and properly, and if help and effective treatment comes within half an hour – up to an hour, the chances of survival increase. The use of acetylsalicylic acid in a high dose of 300 mg has an impact on the prognosis of a patient with acute coronary syndrome – then the patient has a chance to survive a heart attack. This dose of the drug acts as an anti-platelet agent, which stops the blood clot from forming. It is important to take the tablet in the uncoated form, because then it will work much faster – instructs prof. Artur Mamcarz.

First aid for a heart attack:

1. Call an ambulance. Call 112 or 999.
2. The person with a heart attack should sit or lie down (move as little as possible).
3. Remove any garments that may be obstructing breathing.
4. Follow the instructions of the emergency room dispatcher.
5. If instructed by the dispatcher, give 300 mg acetylsalicylic acid.

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