Major Risk Factors and Causes of Heart Attacks in Young Adults

Heart Attacks, also known as myocardial infarctions, are caused by a blockage in the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. In young adults, the most common cause of this blockage is the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, which can be caused by a number of factors.

Major risk factors and Causes of Heart Attacks in Young Adults   

Some of the major risk factors and Causes of Heart Attack in young adults as follows:

High blood pressure:

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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the a major risk factor and cause for heart attack and stroke, and is often seen in young people . High Blood Pressure can cause damage to the blood vessels in the heart, which results to plaque build-up and thus lead to blockages that can cause a heart attack. Youngsters nowadays tend to have hypertension due to many reason which can lead to Heart attacks. It's is important that people should get their blood pressure regularly checked without miss.

Diabetes: 

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Young adults are increasingly being diagnosed with diabetes, which can raise the risk of heart disease. Uncontrolled diabetes can increase the chances of heart attacks in young adults. As we know diabetes is metabolic disorder because of which level of sugar increases in blood. Hight blood sugar can damages blood vessels, especially coronary arteries which carries blood to heart. This damage can to the build of up plaque,thus blocking blood vessel,thus causing Heart Attacks.

Also Read : 10 Early Warning Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes 

High cholesterol:

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Elevated levels of  (bad) cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease, and may be more common in young and old adults. High Cholesterol increase the chance of build up of plaque thus blocking or narrowing arteries and blood vessel result in heart attacks in young adults. High Cholesterol can be caused due to poor diets and lack of physical activities. Young adults should have regular Cholesterol check up and have healthy lifestyle.

Smoking:

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Smoking is a major risk factor and cause of heart attack in young adults. Tobacco consist of chemicals which can affect heart and blood vessels which can increase the chance of forming clots, thus resulting in heart Attacks. Smoking can also increases the chances of cardiovascular disease,stokes,high blood pressure etc. If you smoke continues, the level of oxygen decreases,thus it's supply to the heart also reduces and it increases the heart rate and blood pressure which in turn put strain on heart. This habit of smoking can lead to Heart Attacks and other heart related problems. Quitting smoking can reduce the heart attacks significantly.

Lack of physical activity:

Sedentary lifestyle is becoming quite common among young adults, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Lack of physical activities can lead to the development of other health condition which can increase the chance of heart attacks in young adults. Lack of physical activities can lead to high blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity ,all these things can only increase the chance of cardiovascular disease. Therefore it is very important that young adults should involve in regular physical activities,such as yoga, running and swimming etc to avoid heart attacks in such youn age.

Poor diet:

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Poor diet or unhealthy food has been concern in todays young generation.Consumption of these unhealthy foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol can raise the risk of heart disease, and this is  becoming increasingly common among young people across the globe.

Family history:

Family history of heart attacks can increase the chance and risk of Heart attacks in young adults.This includes genetic factors which cause the heart attacks in young people and also the family lifestyle they adopt like poor diet and physical activities pattern can contribute to development of hear attacks in young adults. People with family history of heart attack should try to reduce the risk by following healthy diet,doing physical activities and having regular checkup from from Doctor.

Stress:

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Young adults across the globe are facing an increased amount of stress due to pressure from school ,colleges and in work places which can increase the risk of heart disease. People usually are not aware that stress can have adverse affect on heart,as stress can increase blood pressure due to frequent mood change with anger, depression and also result in change in heart rate, eventually increasing the changes of heart attacks. So people should avoid taking stress or should consult with psychiatrist and try to reduce it to minimise the changes of heart attacks in young adults.

Air pollution:

Air Pollution is another factor which can cause the heart attacks in young adults. Long exposure to the air pollutants can cause damge to the cardiovascular system and thus lead to Hypertension and atherosclerosis ,which can increase the chance of heart attacks. Particulate Matter are the harmful components of air population.

PM2.5 to PM10 are the particulates of diameters 2.5 to 10 microns and are to be the most dangerous type of PM which can cause inflammation in lungs and hearts thus leading to hearts diseases. People should have precautionary measures while traveling in such area by avoid during such areas during day time or wearing mask and should have regular checkup.

Obesity:

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Young adults all around the world are increasingly becoming overweight or obese due to unhealthy diet or lack of physical activities. Obesity can be another major cause of heart attacks as it can lead to high blood pressure,high cholesterol and Diabetes which are all major risk factors for heart problems. Obesity will put more strain on heart with overweight,this increasing the chance of heart attack in youngster.

Sleep disorders:

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Lack of Sleep or insomnia can lead to the heart attacks in young adults. Sleep disorder is major concern in today world as more or more people are so carriers oriented people hard sleep properly or some have the habit of sleeping late thus affect their sleep pattern. This sleep disorder can lead to high blood pressure, stress which can cause heart problem. Sleep disorder can also lead to obesity thus further increasing the risk of heart attack in young adults.

Drug and alcohol abuse:

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Substance abuse such as consuming drugs and alcohol can damage the heart and increase the risk of heart disease, and substance abuse is becoming more common among young adults across the globe. So people should avoid substance abuse to keep you heart healthy and thus leading a fit life.

It is very important to note that these risk factors can interact and compound each other, making the risk of heart attacks in young people in India even higher. Thus youngsters should under the importance of their life and should focus on maintaining healthy lifestyle and should indulge in physical activities so that your heat remain strong and healthy, regular checkup should be done do avoid any complications in future. 

Some FAQ regarding Heart Attack in Young Adults:

What are the Symptoms of Heart Attack in Young Adults?

The Symptoms of Heart Attack can be chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.

Read More: 6 Major Warning Signs of Heart Attack you should not miss.

How to reduce the risk of heart attacks in young adults?

Youngster can reduce the risk of heart attacks by maintain healthy lifestyle,having healthy diet,doing regular exercise and avoiding smoking and drinking. 

Can heart attack be prevented in young adults?

Heart attacks can be prevented jn young adults by controlling and reduce the risk factors of heart attacks such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, Diabetes and obesity. It is important to have regular checkup from doctors, in order to detect any complications in heart early and prevent heart attacks.

What should you do in case if you suspect your having heart attack?

If you suspect of having heart attack then you should contact your doctor immediately and get treatment as soon as possible.