If a blood vessel in the heart muscle occludes, there is a risk of a life-threatening heart attack. Here you can find out how such an artery narrowing occurs: These risk factors favor a heart attack.
Our heart is the center of our cardiovascular system. It pumps blood throughout our body to bring oxygen and nutrients to organs and cells. On average, our heart beats about 100,000 times a day – a maximum performance that our muscles can produce every day.
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What is a heart attack?
Heart attack is one of the most common heart diseases. This is a sudden occlusion of a coronary artery. Certain regions can no longer be adequately supplied with blood and oxygen, which has life-threatening consequences: Parts of the heart muscle can die, reducing the heart’s pumping power. Cardiac arrhythmias can also occur, which can be fatal if left untreated.
signs of a heart attack
A heart attack usually occurs without warning. According to the German Heart Foundation, around half of all heart attack patients have symptoms such as a tight chest or a burning sensation behind the breastbone 24 to 48 hours before the heart attack. Signs of a heart attack are severe pain and pressure in the chest, a massive feeling of tightness, severe burning, sweating, nausea and vomiting.
Heart attack: what are the risk factors?
A heart attack is usually caused by arteriosclerosis . These are vascular changes caused by increasing cholesterol deposits in the artery wall. Due to the calcification, the arteries narrow, restricting blood flow and leading to a heart attack. There are various risk factors that promote calcification of the vessels and thus also increase the risk of a heart attack. These include:
A diet high in sugar and fat
Saturated fatty acids, which are found in abundance in animal products such as meat, butter or cheese, have an unfavorable effect on your blood fat levels and increase the “bad” LDL cholesterol, which in turn builds up deposits in our artery walls.
smoking
Anyone who smokes regularly has a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Because smoking constricts the vessels, so that the heart rate increases, blood pressure rises and the risk of a heart attack increases accordingly. The nicotine in cigarettes also causes vascular inflammation, impairs blood flow and inhibits the elasticity of the vessels.
overweight
Obesity is almost always accompanied by high blood pressure and disturbed fat and sugar metabolism. This promotes deposits in the coronary arteries. Abdominal fat in particular , also known as visceral fat, can promote inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
lack of exercise
When there is a lack of exercise, the heart muscle loses its efficiency. Regular exercise therefore protects you from a heart attack. Endurance sports such as jogging or walking, cycling or swimming promote your cardiovascular system and strengthen your heart. Your circulation will improve and your blood pressure will drop.
Mellitus diabetes
Diabetics have a higher risk of developing arteriosclerosis than healthy people. The reason: High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels over time. For this reason, diabetics should adjust their blood sugar levels correctly and, as a precaution, have an ECG made regularly to have their heart functions checked.
