Author:- Mr. Ritesh Sharma
With the recent surge in heart attacks among young people, one must tend to ponder Why Heart Attack Comes in early age. The cardiac event which was once predominantly associated with old people if affecting young people dangerously. Whether it is some teenagers or someone in their middle 30s, no one is saved from the epidemic of heart attacks spread among young people. So, what is the reason behind it? Why Heart Comes in early age? Why seemingly fit young individuals are facing this fatal cardiac issue despite having a healthy lifestyle?
All of these questions are worth investigating. Therefore, in this blog, we will dive into the factors contributing to this phenomenon. Furthermore, we will also discuss the preventive measures by which young adults can steer clear of heart attacks. So, let’s delve into this conundrum and uncover some worthy insights.
The Contributing Factors: Why Heart Attack Comes in early age?
Now, if the heart attacks are coming in early age, there must be some contributing factors to that. These contributing factors are closely associated with your life, so you need to be aware of them. From changing lifestyles and dietary habits to undiagnosed medical conditions, all of these substantially contribute to the exponential increase in heart attacks among young people. Let’s learn more about these contributing factors below.
Changing Lifestyles and Dietary Habits
In recent decades, there has been a substantial alteration in the lifestyles and dietary habits of young adults. Due to prolonged hours of work, adults are leading a sedentary lifestyle in which they are performing the least amount of physical activity. Furthermore, along with leading a sedentary lifestyle, adults do not care about their dietary habits as well. Instead of consuming fruits and vegetables during their working hours, they are adopting junk foods that contribute to the increase in their cholesterol levels, i.e. a major risk factor for heart disease.
The minimal physical activities combined with a poor diet lead to the deposition of plaque in the arteries of young adults. This plaque is so dangerous that it leads to fatal cardiac arrhythmias of different arrhythmia classifications and in the worst-case scenario a heart attack.
Stress and Poor Mental Health
The hustle and bustle of the work environment results in chronic stress in young adults. This chronic stress when persistent leads to situations like chest pain and heart palpitations. Furthermore, in worse conditions, stress and poor mental health are the reasons for underlying cardiovascular conditions that can lead to major cardiac events like a heart attack.
Smoking and Substance Abuse
Smoking and substance abuse highly contribute to the deterioration of people’s heart health. Most young people engage in the bad habit of smoking. Now, there is a preconcived notion that smoking only affects lungs, but that’s not entirely true. Smoking also leads to the damage of blood vessels and reduce the supply of oxygen to the heart. Furthermore, it can also potentially accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis, i.e. the buildup of plaque in the arteries. And, a a type of heart attack occurs when plaque deposited in the coronary arteris gets ruptured.
Along with smoking and substance abuse, excessive consumption of alchohol can also adversely affect your heart health. Hence, if you consume alcohol, you must do so in moderation for it to have to affect on your heart.
Genetic Predisposition
While lifestyle factors play a significant role in making your heart health worse, genetic predisposition is another contributing factor. While it is not necessary that people with a family history of heart disease will be affected by it, in most cases this tends to happen. The genetic factors can lead to the development of heart disease in young adults and sometimes, the situation gets so bad that individuals experience a horrifying cardiac even like a myocardial infarction, i.e. a heart attack.
Undiagnosed Medical Conditions
Sometimes, a few medical conditions get undiagnosed in young adults. For examples, if you get affected by diabetes then if may lead to the damage of blood vessels and nerves. This damage can lead to dire consequences as blood vessels are interconnected with the heart. If the condition goes undiagnosed for a long period of time then it might lead to dangerous heart conditions, such as a heart attack.
Preventive Measures for Heart Attacks in Young Adults
Now that we have established the argument for why heart attack comes in early age, let us discuss some preventive measures for it as well. The preventive measures for heart attacks in young adults stem from the causes of heart disease in them. The following are the complete details regarding all of these preventive measures.
Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle
You must adopt a healthy lifestyle from a young age itself. This includes incorporating foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your diet and engaging in moderate to high-intensity physical activity every day. A healthy lifestyle will ensure that no heart abnormalities reach the periphery of your heart.
Manage Stress
Adopt stress management techniques by practicing yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises. Furthermore, spend time with your loved ones and try to laugh more throughout the day. If you are a working person, don’t take too much stress off the work and take short breaks between the completion of your tasks to rejuvenate.
Avoid Smoking and Substance Abuse
If you engage in smoking or substance abuse, then you must quit that right away. Furthermore, if you take one drink of alcohol per day then reduce it to one drink per week. This will promote good heart health in you and ensure that you don’t get affected by heart problems.
Regular Health Check-ups are Necessary
Most young adults only opt for health check-ups when they feel symptoms of heart problems. However, there are many underlying cardiovascular conditions that show no symptoms at all. Therefore, you must get your regular health check-ups done even if you feel no symptoms of heart problems. These health check-ups include measuring blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, etc.
Know your Family History of Heart Disease
You must be aware of your family history of heart disease and manage your heart health accordingly. Discuss the family history of heart attacks, strokes, or any kind of heart abnormalities showcased in the abnormal ECG. This clarity between you and your family will ensure good heart health for you as you can prepare yourself with all the preventive measures.
In conclusion, the question of why heart attack comes in early age might not have a definitive answer. However, there are several factors that contribute to it. To mitigate the risk of heart attacks at a young age, you must take all the preventive measures and ensure the ideal state of your heart health.