Who is at high risk for a heart attack?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Son - Interventional Cardiologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital

1. What is a myocardial infarction?

Myocardial infarction is a sudden narrowing or complete blockage of one or more coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood to the heart), causing death of heart muscle cells. Myocardial infarction can directly threaten the life of the patient if not diagnosed and intervened in time. The cause of a heart attack is due to the atherosclerotic plaque attached to the vessel wall falling off, exposing the damaged blood vessel wall, at which time platelets agglomerate in that vessel wall and form a blood clot. partial or complete occlusion of a blood vessel lumen. Depending on the location of the blockage, the severity of the damage varies, the most severe is death. Risk factors for myocardial infarction are those associated with an increased likelihood of developing the disease. Subjects at high risk of myocardial infarction ie those at risk of atherosclerosis due to lifestyle, eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, age, gender,... 1 person has many factors Risk factors increase the likelihood that the person will get the disease, but it does not guarantee that the person will get the disease.

2. Who is at high risk of having a heart attack?

Male . Men have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases than women at a young age because women have the hormone estrogen, which protects the vessel walls. Postmenopausal women are also at a higher risk of heart attack than men. Senior age. The older you are, the higher your risk of a heart attack. It is one of the most important disease predictors. Men have a higher risk of developing this condition after age 45 and women after age 55. Someone in your family has had a heart attack or stroke. Research evidence shows that people with a genetic (familial) history of heart attack or stroke (men before age 55 and women before age 65) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than others. Smoking, pipe tobacco: This is an important risk factor for myocardial infarction as well as cerebrovascular accident, peripheral artery stenosis. Smoking causes atherosclerosis more than any other risk factor. In fact, 30-40% of coronary heart disease deaths are caused by smoking. Sedentary lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors for cardiovascular events. Regular exercise reduces the risk of a heart attack. In addition, exercise also has a positive effect on other risk factors such as weight loss, avoiding obesity, reducing stress... Hypertension: People with high blood pressure have a 3 times higher risk of heart attack. for men and six times for women. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk because high blood pressure will damage the arteries and promote the formation of plaque. Increased cholesterol: Regular use of saturated fats increases cholesterol, promoting the formation of coronary atherosclerosis. Saturated fat is found in many processed foods, instant noodles, fried foods, cheese, eggs, etc. Thus increasing the risk of heart attack. Drinking too much alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of cardiovascular events by increasing blood pressure, increasing the risk of liver damage, brain complications, myocardial infarction, ..

Overweight / obesity: Obesity at different levels increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, affects the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, increases the risk of myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, etc. ..In addition, overweight and obesity are also other important cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes. Diabetes: People with diabetes are considered to be more likely to develop cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction. People with type 2 diabetes promote high blood pressure and increase cholesterol deposition on artery walls, promoting atherosclerosis

3. Measures to prevent myocardial infarction

Healthy eating habits and regular exercise will reduce the incidence of many risk factors for heart and coronary artery disease. Control myocardial infarction with the following measures:
Quit smoking, water pipe Increase physical activity such as jogging at an appropriate level, regularly about 30-60 minutes a day, 4-7 days/week. Eat a healthy diet such as rich in green vegetables, fresh fruits, foods rich in fiber and plant protein; limit foods high in cholesterol and saturated fatty acids (organs, animal fats, fried foods, ready-to-eat foods...); Eat a low-salt diet Maintain your ideal weight. Actively lose weight if overweight, maintain BMI from 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2. Reduced waist circumference less than 90 cm in men and less than 80 cm in women. Limit alcohol. Periodic medical examination to assess your risk level, well control blood pressure, blood fat, blood sugar, adherence to treatment.

To protect your heart health in general and detect early signs of a heart attack in particular, you can sign up for the Cardiovascular Screening Package - Basic Cardiovascular Examination of Vinmec International General Hospital. The examination package helps to detect cardiovascular problems at the earliest through tests and modern imaging methods. The package is for all ages, genders and is especially essential for people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.