Why are heart attacks growing in younger people?

Dr.Ashish Agarwal, Dr.Aashish Chaudhry, 5 mins read

The way cases of heart attacks are increasing in young adults today is alarming. Heart attacks have always been a problem for older age people for several decades, typically affecting people above fifty years of age, but today young people less than forty years of age are falling victim to cardiovascular disease which has become a cause for concern. If efforts are not made to control this growing problem among the youth at the earliest, we will soon witness a drastic fall in the youth population in India.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is also known as myocardial infarction. It occurs when the blood flow to the heart is severely reduced or blocked. The blockage of blood to the heart is caused due to build-up of fat, cholesterol, proteins, and some inflammatory cells which form plaque in the arteries. Sometimes a plaque ruptures and forms a clot that blocks the oxygenated blood to the heart and causes a heart attack.

Why are heart attacks growing in younger people?

The cause of heart attacks among younger adults can largely be attributed to lifestyle. Some of the major risk factors of a heart attack in young adults are:

• Smoking – Smoking is one of the major risk factors for heart attack among young adults. The nicotine in smoke accelerates the heart rate and raises blood pressure which increases the risk of heart attack by 34 % compared to a non-smoker person. The Carbon Monoxide present in smoke reduces the supply of oxygenated blood to the heart which causes a heart attack.
• Stress and anxiety– The blood pressure can suddenly shoot up when you get angry or when you are stressed. Evidence has emerged that the high level of cortisol from prolonged stress can increase blood pressure, sugar level, cholesterol, and triglyceride which are the common risk factors of heart disease.

Stress amongst youngsters is increasing day by day due to work culture but it is important to manage the stress in healthy ways. Many youngsters start consuming alcohol, smoking or start taking prohibited drugs like cocaine. These are unhealthy ways to combat stress. These habits rather increase the chances of developing a heart attack. The youngster should take intervals from work, connect with relatives, or close friends, or start yoga and exercise to tackle the stress.

• Lack of Physical activity– It is very important to do regular exercises. It helps to prevent heart and blood vessel disease. Regular exercise helps us lower blood pressure, decrease stress levels, and also improve cholesterol levels.
• Diabetes- The high level of sugar in your blood can damage the blood vessel and the nerves. Type 2 diabetes is the major risk factor for heart attack. Diabetes is linked to some other cardiac diseases like high blood pressure, increased levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, and obesity.

What are heart attack symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:-

• Chest pain, discomfort, heaviness, or an aching sensation in the chest that radiates to arms, neck, jaw, or back.
• Indigestion, stomach ache, or heartburn
• Weakness, sudden dizziness, lightheadedness
• Breathing problem, fast or irregular heart rhythm
• Sweating, vomiting

The symptoms and signs of a heart attack may vary from person to person. Some people may experience severe chest pain while some experience mild chest pain. In some cases of heart attacks, a patient may not notice any symptoms at all. This is called a silent heart attack or asymptomatic heart attack and is common in diabetic patients.

Diagnosis of a Heart attack:

Some of the major tests conducted to diagnose a heart attack include:-

1. ECG- The test helps us read electrical impulses. It generally shows characteristic changes within minutes of a heart attack.
2. Blood Test– The blood test helps us detect protein released into the bloodstream when part of the heart muscle dies. However, it can only be detected after four to six hours of a heart attack.
3. Echocardiogram– It is conducted to see how the chambers of the heart are and valves are pumping blood through the heart.
4. Angiography- The test is performed to see if there is any restriction in blood flow going to the heart.
5. Treatment of heart attack:-

Early diagnosis opens up the blocked artery quickly and effectively to minimize the extent of damage to the heart muscle is the goal of heart attack treatment. Currently, there are three treatment options available to unblock the artery:

1. The fastest way to treat a heart attack is to give a blood-thinning medication (thrombolytic agents) to dissolve the clot and therefore unblock the artery. However, it is only effective in slightly more than 50% in opening the blocked artery and may cause serious bleeding complications from other areas, including the brain.
2. Another way to open the blockage of the artery is by inserting a balloon or stent through a small puncture/prick in the groin or wrist to open up the artery, known as coronary angioplasty. It is successful in more than 90% of the cases.
3. Shockwave intravascular lithotripsy is a unique technique that creates high-speed sonic pressure waves in the arteries of the heart to remove the hard layer of calcium. It is a successful and safe treatment and helps to improve the life of the patient. This procedure takes 35-40 minutes to perform and the patient can be discharged the very next day after the procedure. It is a unique procedure that makes it possible to treat even patients with advanced-stage of coronary artery disease who have hard blockages due to the accumulation of calcium in their arteries. Such a condition mostly occurs in 20-25 per cent of angioplasty patients, especially due to old age, diabetes, coronary kidney disease, etc.

Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital offers comprehensive solutions for the management of heart diseases at affordable cost which includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Our doctors are highly skilled and have extensive experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating the most complex heart conditions like heart valve surgery. We provide immaculate, value for money and evidence-based patient care. Our Cardiology and Cardiac surgery department is equipped with ultra-advanced technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure in the field of Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Surgeries both adult and paediatric. If you want to have an honest and proper opinion and want to get treated by one of the best heart surgeons in Delhi, book an appointment with us today.

Our Cardiologists and Cardiac surgeons are highly skilled in minimally invasive valve replacement, key-hole surgeries, beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting, and awake Cardiac Surgery. Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka is considered one of the best hospitals for heart disease and has one of the best cardiac surgeons in Delhi. If you have any query related to heart attack first aid, an emergency treatment for heart attack, or how to prevent a heart attack, please call our executive today

Also Read: What is a cardiac stent? Everything you need to know