A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked. The blockage is most often a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries).
The plaque eventually breaks away and forms a clot. The interrupted blood flow can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle.
A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, can be fatal, but treatment has improved dramatically over the years. It’s crucial to call 911 or emergency medical help if you think you might be having a heart attack.
- Age :
Assessment of CVD risk using Age as part of Risk Scores
With aging, there is an incremental acquisition of several CVD risk factors in an individual’s lifespan. When these risk factors are incorporated in a multivariable regression model, age still remains an independent risk factor. There are several risk prediction scores currently available to assess an individual’s risk of CVD, and all of them include ‘age’ as a predictor. Older age, as assessed by these risk scores, is associated with greater risk of CVD.
Although there are several risk scores available, the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) is one of the most-widely adopted screening tools in United States and is recommended by National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to assess an individual’s CVD risk. Other risk scores which are tested in Britain,Scotland,New Zealand or China have not been formally tested in the United States. In addition to the traditional risk factors (age, gender, smoking, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and systolic blood pressure which are part of FRS), risk scores developed in Britain and Scotland also incorporate family history and social deprivation as risk factors, and these additional variables marginally improve prediction of CVD risk over the FRS when applied to the British and the Scottish populations, respectively. The Reynolds risk score also includes age as a component and is constructed using a database of middle-aged American women and requires the additional measurements of C-reactive protein and HbA1c (in diabetics).Lastly, the risk prediction score reported in prior European studies and currently adopted by the Joint European societies is based on models which predict CVD death, and therefore underestimates the burden of CVD by not including the non-fatal events. Note that although CVD death rates have declined in some developed European countries (quite similar to the trend in the United States), the overall CVD burden still remains high.
2. Tobocco :
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Contrary to public perception, smoking-caused heart disease actually results in more deaths per year than smoking-caused lung cancer. Thirty percent of all heart disease deaths are caused by cigarette smoking. Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of heart disease in the United States.
Tobacco smoke contains high levels of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide affects the heart by reducing the amount of oxygen the blood is able to carry. This means that the heart, lungs, brain, and other vital organs do not always receive enough oxygen to perform everyday functions. At the same time, nicotine causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, this causes extraordinary “wear and tear” on the cardiovascular system. People who use tobacco are more likely to have heart attacks, high blood pressure, blood clots, strokes, hemorrhages, aneurysms, and other disorders of the cardiovascular system.
Smoking actually triples the risk of dying from heart disease. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of stroke by increasing clotting factors in the blood, decreasing HDL cholesterol levels, increasing triglyceride levels, and damaging the lining of blood vessels. The risk for stroke increases as the number of cigarettes smoked increases.
Secondhand smoke is a much greater problem than many people realize. Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. This mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many of which are strong irritants. Secondhand smoke has been classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of lung cancer in humans. Secondhand smoke causes 30 times as many lung cancer deaths as all regulated air pollutants combined (3). Secondhand smoke is estimated by the EPA to cause approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers each year.
There is no evidence of a safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. In fact, long-term exposure to secondhand smoke has been shown to cause a 30% increase in the risk of heart disease in nonsmokers. It is estimated that 37,000 coronary heart disease deaths per year are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke also negatively affects cardiovascular health by decreasing exercise endurance, damaging blood vessel walls, and increasing the tendency of blood platelets to clot, contributing to heart attacks. Also, nonsmokers’ bodies tend to react more dramatically to tobacco exposure than do smokers’ bodies, so lower levels of smoke can cause adverse effects.
The excess strain and resulting damage from high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) causes the coronary arteries serving the heart to slowly become narrowed from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that together are called plaque. This slow process is known as atherosclerosis.
As arteries harden with plaque, blood clots become more likely to form. When an artery becomes blocked due to an accumulation of plaque or a blood clot, the flow of blood through the heart muscle is interrupted, starving the muscle of oxygen and nutrients. The damage or death of part of the heart muscle that occurs as a result is called a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic. Their inner lining is smooth so that blood flows freely, supplying vital organs and tissues with nutrients and oxygen.
Hypertension gradually increases the pressure of blood flowing through your arteries. As a result, you might experience:
- Damaged and narrowed arteries. High blood pressure can damage the cells of your arteries’ inner lining. When fats from your diet enter your bloodstream, they can collect in the damaged arteries. Eventually, your artery walls become less elastic, limiting blood flow throughout your body.
- Aneurysm. Over time, the constant pressure of blood moving through a weakened artery can cause a section of its wall to enlarge and form a bulge (aneurysm). An aneurysm can potentially rupture and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Aneurysms can form in any artery throughout your body, but they’re most common in your body’s largest artery (aorta).
Damage to your heart
Your heart pumps blood to your entire body. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart in a number of ways, such as:
- Coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease affects the arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle. Arteries narrowed by coronary artery disease don’t allow blood to flow freely through your arteries. When blood can’t flow freely to your heart, you can experience chest pain, a heart attack or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
- Enlarged left heart. High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder than necessary in order to pump blood to the rest of your body. This causes the left ventricle to thicken or stiffen (left ventricular hypertrophy). These changes limit the ventricle’s ability to pump blood to your body. This condition increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
- Heart failure. Over time, the strain on your heart caused by high blood pressure can cause your heart muscle to weaken and work less efficiently. Eventually, your overwhelmed heart simply begins to wear out and fail. Damage from heart attacks adds to this problem.
4.Metabolic syndrome :
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a highly prevalent condition in patients affected by heart failure (HF); however, it is still unclear whether, in the setting of cardiac dysfunction, it represents an adverse risk factor for the occurrence of cardiac events. The epidemiologic implications of MS in HF have been studied intensely, as many of its components contribute to the incidence and severity of HF. In particular, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and lipid abnormalities represent the main components that negatively influence disease progression and evolution. Yet, other components of the MS, i.e. overweight/obesity and high blood pressure, are favourably associated with outcome in HF patients. The aim of this review was to report epidemiology and prognostic role of MS in HF and to investigate current clinical implications and future research needs.
Metabolic syndrome (MS) and heart failure (HF) are steadily increasing conditions, with a prevalence of 34% and of 1–2% in the general population, respectively. It is estimated that the prevalence of HF exceeds 8% in subjects over the age of 75 years, and HF has become the principal cause of mortality, hospitalization, and healthcare expenditures in individuals over the age of 65 years.
Metabolic syndrome represents a cluster of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance (IR), lipid abnormalities, and obesity that are associated with increased risk of HF. It is then intuitive that MS fosters an increased risk of HF. It is debated whether MS independently predicts CV prognosis or merely reflects the impact of individual risk factors included in its definition. Yet, it needs to be pointed out that MS is diagnosed in a dichotomous manner (i.e. present or absent) and incorporates continuous variables that are also used in a dichotomous way, thus limiting its value in predictive mathematical models with potential risk of overadjustment.
Couch potatoes, there’s no easy way to put this. So here goes: Being sedentary could kill you. It’s time to get moving.
You’ve probably heard this before, but a lack of physical activity comes with great risks including blood clots, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other heart related problems. On the other hand, becoming more active can lower your blood pressure by as much as 4 to 9 mm Hg, which is the same reduction in blood pressure you’d get by anti-hypertensive medications. Physical activity can also boost your levels of good cholesterol.
Becoming more active keeps the No. 1 killer in women at bay by reducing heart disease by 30-40 percent and stroke by 25 percent in people who do regular moderate to vigorous activity. Not too shabby, right?
Aside from its heart health benefits, with a more physically active life you can look forward to:
- More energy
- Less stress, tension, depression and anxiety
- A better overall mood
- An easier time falling asleep and sleeping soundly
- Increased muscle strength and bone loss prevention
- Delaying or preventing chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging
For each hour of regular exercise you get, you gain about two hours of additional life – even if you don’t start until middle age. So start moving. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, and you’ll be on your way to a heart healthy life.
If you’re new to exercise, try moderate forms of physical activity like brisk walking. You can also incorporate small changes into your daily routine like taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Every little bit helps.
Increasing your physical activity is important, but it’s equally as important to talk to your doctor about the intensity of your workout, as heart disease survivor Mary Leah Coco did.
Mary was a long-time athlete who took up swimming in lieu of more aggressive physical activities. Not only did she find swimming a safer alternative, but it was also something she could do with her entire family – a winning solution all around.
If swimming isn’t your thing, don’t fret. Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories, like housework, gardening, jogging, bicycling, playing tennis, walking the dog or dancing. It doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
If you think about it, 30 minutes isn’t a lot. So instead of spending your free time in front of the TV, get up and move. A recent study found that middle-aged adults who were more active during their leisure time had lower levels of indicators of inflammation of the arteries. And people with less inflammation tend to a have lower risk for heart disease.
6.Obesity :
Obesity—having too much body fat—is pretty common. Today, obesity affects more than 1 out of 3 adults in the U.S. Being obese raises a person’s risk of many forms of heart disease, as well as other health problems.But, your risk isn’t just about how much body fat you have. Where you carry the extra weight seems to matter, too. According to research, belly fat is of particular concern. In fact, even people who are not obese but have a large waistline show a higher risk for heart disease.If you are obese or carry a lot of fat around your middle, take heart. Even small changes can make a big difference for your health. Young adults who are overweight begin to develop high blood pressure and other heart problems that may put them at higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke later in life, a new study shows.
It’s well-known that obesity increases the risk for heart disease and stroke among older adults. But the new study, published this week suggests a causal relationship between being overweight and heart problems in young adults. It suggests that heart damage can begin long before the heart attacks and strokes seen in overweight adults.
Kaitlin H. Wade, a genetic epidemiologist at the University of Bristol in England who led the study, said the findings illustrate why it’s critical for countries facing an obesity epidemic to focus their efforts on young children. Efforts to lower BMI in children “may be more effective than in adulthood,” Wade said.
For the study, researchers used health data collected on 3,000 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a long-term health study of Bristol families started in the early 1990s. The investigators used several approaches to determine the relationship between body mass index and cardiovascular risk in 17- and 21-year-olds.
BMI is a measure used to determine a person’s appropriate weight. Adults who have a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight.
The study results suggest that having a higher BMI may cause some of the conditions that can lead to heart disease and stroke. For instance, for every additional unit of BMI, there was a slight increase in blood pressure readings and in the thickness and size of one of the heart’s main pumping chambers.
Dr. Sadiya S. Khan, a preventive cardiologist at Northwestern University in Chicago, said the study is important because it looked at the effects of obesity in young adults, a group often overlooked in heart disease and stroke research. Khan, who was not involved in the new study, said the most notable findings were that even in young adults, a higher BMI has a long-lasting effect on blood pressure and heart structure.
In the face of increasing global rates of obesity among children and adults alike, “what this study implies for future projections of cardiovascular disease when these young adults become middle-aged and older adults is quite concerning,” said Khan.
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 2 causes of death worldwide.
Khan, who also studies the effect that obesity has on cardiovascular disease risk, said that she would like to see U.S. researchers look at obesity and heart disease risk among young adults of varying racial and ethnic groups. She said the prevalence of risk factors may be different, and their role in heart disease and stroke risk may vary, too.
7.Diabetes :
Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you will develop heart disease.
People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes. In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes.
Knowing your diabetes ABCs will help you manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Stopping smoking if you have diabetes is also important to lower your chances for heart disease.
A is for the A1C test. The A1C test shows your average blood glucose level over the past 3 months. This is different from the blood glucose checks that you do every day. The higher your A1C number, the higher your blood glucose levels have been during the past 3 months. High levels of blood glucose can harm your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, feet, and eyes.
The A1C goal for many people with diabetes is below 7 percent. Some people may do better with a slightly higher A1C goal. Ask your health care team what your goal should be.
B is for blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the wall of your blood vessels. If your blood pressure gets too high, it makes your heart work too hard. High blood pressure can cause a heart attack or stroke and damage your kidneys and eyes.
The blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90 mm Hg. Ask what your goal should be.
C is for cholesterol. You have two kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. Too much bad cholesterol can cause a heart attack or stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove the “bad” cholesterol from your blood vessels.
Ask your health care team what your cholesterol numbers should be. If you are over 40 years of age, you may need to take medicine such as a statin to lower your cholesterol and protect your heart. Some people with very high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol may need to take medicine at a younger age.
S is for stop smoking. Not smoking is especially important for people with diabetes because both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels, so your heart has to work harder.
8. Illicit Drug Use :
Most illegal drugs can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
Many drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and various forms of amphetamine, affect the central nervous system and can alter a user’s consciousness. In addition to addiction, the side effects and risks associated with use of these drugs include:changes in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea
impaired judgment and greater risk of some sexually transmitted infections
the possibility of added substances (such as talc, poisons, herbicides or other particles) which may cause a toxic reaction.
heart attacks, seizures, and respiratory arrest
More about Cocaine – the “perfect heart-attack drug”
The powdered form of cocaine is either inhaled through the nose (snorted) and absorbed through nasal tissue, or dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream. Crack is a form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that can be smoked.
Even so-called recreational cocaine users may have higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and thicker heart muscle walls than non-users — all of which can cause a heart attack. An Australian study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2012 was the first to document these cardiovascular abnormalities in seemingly healthy regular cocaine users long after the immediate effects of cocaine have worn off. Researchers – who called cocaine “the perfect heart attack drug” – showed how users had higher rates of multiple factors associated with higher risks of heart attack and stroke:
30 percent to 35 percent increase in aortic stiffening;
8 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure; and
18 percent greater thickness of the heart’s left ventricle wall.
A United Nations World Drug Report estimated the prevalence of cocaine use in the United States for 2013 to be 1.6 percent of the population aged 12 and older, and it had remained stable in the previous few years.
Cocaine is the illegal drug most often associated with visits to U.S. hospital emergency departments. Cocaine use has been associated with chest pain and myocardial infarction. In 2011, it was involved in an estimated 40.3 percent of illicit drug-related emergency department visits (505,224 visits), versus about 36.4 percent (455,668 visits) for marijuana and about 20.6 percent (258,482 visits) for heroin.
Cocaine, amphetamine and ecstasy can all have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
Amphetamines, a class of drugs which includes methamphetamines, can be habit-forming and prone to abuse. The drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson’s, obesity, narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). They stimulate the central nervous system (nerves and brain). This increases heart rate and blood pressure and decreases appetite, among other effects.
Ecstasy, or MDMA, is illegal. It is known as a synthetic “club drug” with stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.
Drug Abuse is growing among older adults.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of illicit drug users age 50 and older is increasing. Illegal drug users aged 50 to 59 more than tripled between 2002 and 2012 – from 900,000 to more than 3 million. Larger numbers of older adults also are seeking treatment for substance abuse and having increased hospitalizations and more visits to emergency departments, up more than 130 percent in 55 to 64-year-olds from 2004 to 2009.
While it is relatively rare for adults over 65 to have ever used illicit drugs, baby boomers, adults currently in their 50s and early 60s, are more likely to have tried them during their youth than previous generations. Greater lifetime exposure could lead to higher rates of abuse as baby boomers age.
9. Stress :
Medical researchers aren’t sure exactly how stress increases the risk of heart disease. Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse. For example, if you are under stress, your blood pressure goes up, you may overeat, you may exercise less, and you may be more likely to smoke.
If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.
When you are exposed to long periods of stress, your body gives warning signals that something is wrong. These physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral warning signs should not be ignored. They tell you that you need to slow down. If you continue to be stressed and you don’t give your body a break, you are likely to develop health problems like heart disease. You could also worsen an existing illness. stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk: high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating. Some people may choose to drink too much alcohol or smoke cigarettes to “manage” their chronic stress, however these habits can increase blood pressure and may damage artery walls.
And your body’s response to stress may be a headache, back strain, or stomach pains. Stress can also zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep and make you feel cranky, forgetful and out of control.
A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation — the “fight or flight” response.
When stress is constant, your body remains in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Although the link between stress and heart disease isn’t clear, chronic stress may cause some people to drink too much alcohol which can increase your blood pressure and may damage the artery walls.
10. A history of preeclampsia :
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and appears to be increasing in women aged 35 to 54 years.
Women who have had preeclampsia have three to four times the risk of high blood pressure and double the risk for heart disease and stroke. They also have an increased risk of developing diabetes. For women who had preeclampsia and delivered preterm, had low-birthweight babies, or suffered from severe preeclampsia more than once, the risk of heart disease can be even higher. While still unknown whether the risk is caused by preeclampsia or if the woman was already predisposed, these risks first emerge in the years following a complicated pregnancy. Although this may seem daunting, ample research shows that there are many ways for women to protect their heart health and that of their families!
This research does not mean you will definitely develop heart problems if you had preeclampsia, but for some women pregnancy can serve as an early warning sign for future heart disease. This kind of “heads up” gives you an opportunity to make changes now for a healthier tomorrow – and reap the benefits today, too!
Many of the risk factors for preeclampsia and other conditions affecting your blood pressure and heart are similar. They include a family history of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
You may think of preeclampsia as high blood pressure that occurs during or immediately after pregnancy. That’s simply not the case. Preeclampsia can occur up to six weeks postpartum.
And that’s not all: Research is finding that preeclampsia appears to be a significant warning sign for heart disease after pregnancy. In fact, the American Heart Association’s guidelines on cardiovascular disease in women consider preeclampsia as strong a risk factor for heart disease as a failed stress test—a test commonly used to identify existing heart disease.
Recognizing this important risk factor is vital to women’s heart health because heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States.
Medical researchers do not yet know exactly how or why preeclampsia and future heart disease are linked, but they do know:
A history of preeclampsia doubles the risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots within 5 to 15 years after pregnancy.
Women who have repeat or severe preeclampsia or preeclampsia accompanied by stillbirth are at greater risk of heart disease than women who have high blood pressure only or preeclampsia during a single pregnancy.
Many women may not be aware that preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications can signal heart disease risk. A study found that 13 percent of women screened for heart disease risk factors during an OB/GYN visit had three or more cardiovascular disease risk factors they were not aware of.
If you have ever had preeclampsia, it is vital your primary care doctor is aware of your heart disease risk factor. Your health care professional can help you determine next steps for your heart health.
In the meantime, take good care of your ticker by following these steps to a heart-healthy diet.
Fitness Forever 