Heart attacks can occur at any age. However, the risk increases as a person gets older. Over the past decade, the prevalence of heart attacks in those under 40 appears to have increased. Being male or having a family history of heart disease can contribute to the chances of having a heart attack.
Age. The majority of heart attack deaths occur in patients ages 65 and older, but a man's risk begins to increase at 45 (for women, it starts at 55).
But don't celebrate yet because there's one worrisome problem: Heart attacks are increasing in young adults under the age of 40 — including those in their 20s and 30s. Knowing what's behind the rise in heart attacks in young adults can help you take steps to protect your health and prevent cardiovascular disease.
There are many reasons why a 22-year-old could have chest pain. And while it's quite rare, a heart attack can occur in a person in his twenties.
Researchers studied more than 28,000 people hospitalized for heart attacks from 1995 to 2014, and they found that the rate of heart attacks in patients ages 35 to 54 has increased from 27 percent to 32 percent.
Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG reflects what's happening in different areas of the heart and helps identify any problems with the rhythm or rate of your heart. The ECG is painless and takes around 5-10 minutes to perform.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. You may also break out into a cold sweat.
The Effect of Anxiety on the Heart
Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) – In serious cases, can interfere with normal heart function and increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Increased blood pressure – If chronic, can lead to coronary disease, weakening of the heart muscle, and heart failure.
Youngest person who we have seen has had a heart attack is a 17-year-old guy," says Dr Ruchit Shah, Interventional Cardiologist, Masina Hospital, Mumbai.
"Chest pain, rapid heartbeat and breathlessness may result when an insufficient amount of blood reaches the heart muscle," says Tung. (See "Symptoms" below.) One of the key distinctions between the two is that a heart attack often develops during physical exertion, whereas a panic attack can occur at rest.
“Forty to 50 percent of heart attacks present with a fatal event,” Dr. Chawla says. “People ignore symptoms, which are usually taking place for weeks or months before finally having a heart attack with complete blockage.
Atherosclerosis, which causes diseases of the arteries, is a very common process. One of the biggest risk factors for atherosclerosis is age, so it is more common among people in their 60s and 70s, although there are many elderly people who don't have significant atherosclerosis.
Stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can pose a risk for heart attack and stroke. Stress also may contribute to such cardiovascular disease risks as smoking, overeating and lack of physical activity. "Chronic stress has been shown to be associated with increased cardiovascular events," Schiffrin said.
In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds. Every year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack. Of these, 605,000 are a first heart attack.
You may not even know you've had a silent heart attack until weeks or months after it happens. It's best to know what's normal for your body and get help when something doesn't feel right. Knowing the subtle signs of a silent heart attack can help you identify one.
Cardiophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder of persons characterized by repeated complaints of chest pain, heart palpitations, and other somatic sensations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying.
Constant stress has been linked to higher activity in an area of the brain linked to processing emotions, and an increased likelihood of developing heart and circulatory disease. The researchers, from Harvard University, suggested stress could be as important a risk factor as smoking or high blood pressure.
Fatality rates used to be as high as 50%. However, more than 90%⁷ of people today survive a heart attack. Surviving a myocardial infarction is primarily due to recognizing the symptoms, getting prompt treatment, and prevention awareness.
Studies have found that survival rates for people hospitalized for heart attacks are approximately 90%1 to 97%. 2 This varies based on the type of heart attack, which arteries are involved, and additional factors such as age and gender.
SMI warning signs
It can feel like an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain. Discomfort in other upper-body areas, such as one or both arms, the back, the neck, the jaw, or the stomach. Shortness of breath before or during chest discomfort. Breaking out in a cold sweat, or feeling nauseated or lightheaded.
A silent heart attack, also called a silent Ischemia, is a heart attack that has either no symptoms, minimal symptoms or unrecognized symptoms. A heart attack is not always as obvious as pain in your chest, shortness of breath and cold sweats.
The very first symptom of a heart attack listed by the American Heart Association is "uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of your chest." This discomfort may come in waves lasting more than a few minutes at a time.
Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms also may come and go over several hours. People who have high blood sugar (diabetes) may have no symptoms or very mild ones.