When we hear the words chest pain and heart attack, we typically imagine an old man holding his arm and chest in pain. Heart disease, however, doesn’t exclusively affect an aged man. While chances of having a heart attack rise as we get older, it is important to understand that younger people are not immune to it. Furthermore, a heart attack is a more common occurrence in women under the age of 50 as compared to men.
What are the key risk factors for chest pain and heart attack in the young?
- Smoking: One in every four heart attacks is caused by smoking. Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack, and they are also considerably more likely to die if they do get one. Smoking is one of the largest avoidable risk factors.
Therefore, you should immediately quit smoking if you do. If you don’t smoke, then don’t ever think of starting it. Non-smokers who are constantly exposed to smoke are also in danger. Therefore, it is critical to avoid passive smoke as well.
- Excessive drinking: Alcohol can increase the risk of heart disease, elevated triglycerides, and induce an irregular pulse. Moderate drinking is acceptable, but excessive drinking is extremely harmful to your health. Men should limit themselves to no more than two drinks in a day while women should limit themselves to one drink.
- Drugs: Most illegal drugs cause cardiac problems, ranging from irregular heartbeats to heart attacks. Consuming such drugs can also cause cardiovascular issues including blocked veins and bacterial infections in the blood vessels and heart valves. Therefore, you should completely steer clear of drugs.
- Diabetes: Diabetes can increase the risk of coronary heart disease in young people by double. This is because uncontrolled high blood sugar might lead to an increase of plaque in the arteries. If not managed properly, it can cause serious cardiac damage, including heart attacks and death.
Diabetes can be managed by following a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medicines prescribed by the best cardiologist in Chandigarh.
Also Read: https://healinghospital.co.in/how-diabetes-is-affecting-your-heart/
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, resulting in long-term harm. Your risk of a heart attack is increased if your blood pressure is higher than 120/80.
Therefore, to prevent heart attack, young people too should try to control their blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight loss, salt restriction, and, if necessary, medication.
- High cholesterol: Reduce your risk of heart attack by eating a diet low in cholesterol, saturated and trans fats, and high in complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Regular exercise also aids in the reduction of “bad” cholesterol and the elevation of “good” cholesterol.
- Poor nutrition: One of the best ways to prevent a heart attack at a young age is to eat a balanced diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars. Increase your consumption of vitamins and antioxidants to reduce your risk of heart disease. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are some of the right foods to be consumed.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Most youngsters today lead sedentary lifestyles, exercising rarely or never at all. When compared to people who participate in even low to moderate levels of physical activity, those who do not exercise have a greater risk of heart disease. One should exercise for at least 30 minutes each day to keep their heart, body and mind fit.
- Stress: Stress and anger are one of the leading risk factors of a heart attack. By using stress and anger management methods, you can reduce the risk to a great extent. Things such as time management, establishing realistic objectives, trying meditation and yoga can help in managing stress.
Apart from managing the above risk factors, you should also get a regular check-up to prevent heart attack and get a timely diagnosis if there is any problem.
To book an appointment with the best cardiologist in Chandigarh, click here: https://healinghospital.co.in/cardiology-department/
