My 37-year-old husband just had a heart attack, and was treated promptly so there were no serious consequences. Why do young people also get this disease, and how can we prevent it? (Ngoc Tram, Long An)
Reply:
Acute myocardial infarction occurs when atherosclerotic plaque or blood clots form in the coronary arteries, causing blood flow to the heart muscle to suddenly be blocked, causing damage to heart muscle tissue.
The condition can occur suddenly, in some cases with warnings of hours or weeks in advance. Typical signs include recurrent angina, chest pain during physical activity, and pain that is relieved by rest.
Warning signs of a heart attack can come a few weeks in advance, manifested by chest pain. Photo: Freepik
Older people have more risk factors for atherosclerosis, which leads to narrowing of the coronary arteries and heart attacks. As people age, the cells inside the endothelium of blood vessels age, creating favorable conditions for plaque formation. Older people often have underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and peripheral artery disease. People who smoke and abuse alcohol for many years are at high risk of developing the disease.
Myocardial infarction in young people (under 40 years old) often occurs due to blood clots that completely block or narrow a branch of the coronary artery. Causes include stress, obesity, dyslipidemia, unhealthy lifestyle (lack of exercise, diet high in bad cholesterol...), and use of stimulants.
Some people have immune-related diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma...) that cause atherosclerosis to occur.
Sometimes myocardial infarction occurs in patients with non-atherosclerotic coronary arteries, in which a thrombus forms due to a rupture in the coronary artery wall when there is a triggering factor (stress, very high blood pressure above 180/120 mmHg) on a blood vessel that is susceptible to rupture. Spontaneous coronary artery rupture often occurs in young and middle-aged women, pregnant women or people with fibromuscular dysplasia.
In addition, drug use and cocaine also cause coronary artery spasm or dissection, leading to myocardial infarction in young people.
Common symptoms of myocardial infarction in young people are chest pain behind the sternum, lasting more than 30 minutes, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, sweating, anxiety, palpitations, nausea and vomiting. The symptoms are more obvious than in older people. However, many cases do not show typical signs. This is the reason why many patients are subjective, come to the emergency room late, leaving behind serious sequelae such as arrhythmia, heart failure, possible cardiac arrest due to arrhythmia, heart rupture, blood clots in the heart area, aneurysm...
Her husband had just had a heart attack and was fortunately given timely emergency care. To prevent a recurrence, he should have a heart-healthy diet, such as increasing his intake of whole grains, vegetables and fruits; and limiting sugar, saturated fat, trans fat and bad cholesterol.
You should exercise regularly, reduce stress, not smoke, keep your weight at a moderate level, control diabetes, lipid disorders...; regular cardiovascular health check-ups can promptly intervene in abnormalities.
Master, Doctor, Specialist II Vo Anh Minh
Cardiovascular Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City
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