Nowadays even very young people get heart attacks. Therefore, we will inform you how to recognize the manifestations of the first heart attack those who have not reached the age of 40; who falls into the risk group and what measures are needed to avoid these incidents.
Measure your waist circumference
Ischemic heart disease is getting younger and is becoming more common in people under 45, experts say, which is mostly related to lifestyle.
Stress, the lack of the necessary minimum physical activity, sedentary work, traveling by car, improper nutrition - all this leads to a violation of lipid metabolism, increased cholesterol, overweight, poor carbohydrate metabolism, increased arterial pressure.
Specialists remind that all these conditions are united under the name "metabolic syndrome".
It leads to the development of early atherosclerosis in the vessels and rapid progression of the growth of atherosclerotic plaques. To know when it's time to see a doctor, it's enough to measure your waist circumference, they say.
If it is more than 94 cm in men and more than 80 cm in women, then you have signs of metabolic syndrome and it is time to get tested.
Everyone would like to know if they are in the risk group and if it is worth worrying about. For this purpose, there is a special SCORE scale, developed to assess the risk of developing cardiovascular incidents in the next 10 years. The main risk factors that are used to assess the level of risk are:
• age;
• systolic pressure level (upper limit);
• total cholesterol level;
• smoker or non-smoker.
Cardiologists warn that even at low risk (for example, the young person does not smoke and has a normal cholesterol level) there are additional factors affecting the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases.
This risk increases if close relatives have had an early myocardial infarction or stroke. Lowering "good" cholesterol is an additional risk factor. Impaired carbohydrate metabolism and sedentary lifestyle also appear to be independent predictors of increased risk of early heart attacks.
Young people with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2
and previously established cardiovascular diseases, with an increased level of total cholesterol (over 8 mmol/l) and high blood pressure -180/110, are considered to be at high risk and should be regularly monitored by cardiologist.
Specialists also point to erectile dysfunction as another factor that should be paid attention to, since in more than half of the cases the cause of this condition is impaired blood flow in the arteries of the male genital organ.
Therefore, nowadays erectile dysfunction refers to the early markers of ischemic heart disease. A disturbance in the sleep regime; frequent change of time zones, working at night definitely contribute to the faster development of atherosclerosis.
There are also a number of factors that can provoke the development of a cardiovascular attack in young people. In addition to those that support and influence the development of atherosclerosis, it is important to point out the conditions that are not related to the growth of plaques in the vessels of the heart, but are capable of provoking problems with this organ in young people.
These are the factors that decrease the supply of oxygen to the heart. For example, iron deficiency anemia or impaired thyroid function. The development of inflammation in the vessels after past viral infections can also provoke heart problems.
As well as:
• harmful habits - smoking and alcohol can provoke sudden thrombus formation, and drugs - spasm in the heart vessels and lead to a harmful attack;
• with a certain predisposition, oral contraceptives used by women can cause sudden thrombosis in vessels, including the hearty ones.
It turns out that at a young age myocardial infarction most often develops, without previous pain in the heart. But if timely attention is paid to the developing changes, although at first glance they do not relate to the heart, preventive measures can be implemented in time and the development of a heart attack can be prevented.
Young people often do not notice the first warning signals that can lead to a heart attack, but if the following symptoms appear, contact a specialist:
• chest discomfort or shortness of breath occurring during physical or psycho-emotional exertion;
• episodes of erectile dysfunction;
• bouts of pronounced weakness after physical exertion.
Prevention is the most important part in the process of preventing a cardiovascular incident in young people. To begin with, it is necessary to evaluate the risk factors when detecting the first signs of metabolic syndrome, cardiologists explain.
In case of increased waist circumference, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, C-reactive protein, blood sugar, consult a cardiologist or endocrinologist immediately. This will allow an individual preventive action plan to be developed as early as possible.
Of course, quit smoking as soon as possible and optimize your physical activity. Specialists note that all he althy people need aerobic gymnastics with an average intensity of 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week or with a high intensity - a minimum of 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week.
And mandatory walking of 10,000 steps daily. Based on your heart rate, you can determine the intensity of exercise suitable for you. The maximum frequency should be equal to the difference between 220 and the patient's age.
Optimal - 60-70% during medium intensity load and 75-85% - during intensive training. It is extremely important, experts note, to normalize your eating habits.
Exclude fast carbohydrates, alcohol, saturated fat and increase the intake of products containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. Emphasize marine fish, olive oil and flaxseed oil, whole grain products, fruits and vegetables. And try reducing s alt to 2-3 grams per day.
