Heart Disease Risk Factors In Young Adults

Table of Content

• What are heart diseases?

• Types of heart diseases

• 10 symptoms of heart disease

• Why is there a risk of heart disease?

• Risk factors of heart disease

• How can I manage heart health?

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on Heart Disease Risk Factors In Young Adults

What are heart diseases?

Heart diseases are several types of diseases affecting the heart. This is the highest mortality disease in the world, with 1/3rd of the mortality rate in every country!

In India, the death rate is 272 per 100000 population with a global average of 235. Therefore heart disease is a hot topic of concern in India.

The states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab are at a higher risk of raised cholesterol and blood problems.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; 18.2 million American adults have coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease in the United States.

 As per WHO reports, India individually accounts for 1/5th of the mortality rate due to heart diseases in the world.

Many types of heart diseases are due to the cause of atherosclerosis (it is basically fat deposition in the arterioles which are small blood vessels in the heart. These deposits are of cellular waste, calcium, and fats.)

Types of heart diseases

There are many varieties of heart disease which in simple words affect the heart structure and function.

1. Coronary heart disease

This is a type that is very common type among adults and old age people. Coronary artery disease is also known as coronary heart disease. Where arteries (blood vessels of the heart) are unable to pump enough oxygen to the heart.

Around 18.2 million American adults have coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease found in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this coronary artery disease (coronary artery: heart blood vessels) large arteries get affected.

Cause of Coronary heart disease:

 It is basically caused by the build-up of cholesterol in the inner lining of coronary arteries. This increasing build-up could lead to partial or total blockage of the artery.

Symptoms of Coronary heart disease:

An important point to be noticed here is that symptoms vary from individual to individual, even when they are suffering from the same coronary artery disease.

• Chest pain

• Weakness, nausea

• Cold sweat

• Discomfort in the arms

• Shortness of breath

Facts about CAD (coronary artery disease)

(As per CDC- Centre for Disease Control records)

• This is the most common type of heart disease killing about 382,820 people in 2020 in the US.

• In 2020 2 deaths in every 10 deaths from CAD only.

CAD is a leading cause of many other types of heart disease which are listed below:

2. Heart attack

This is a result of blood flow blockage in the heart due to a blood clot. When this blood clot cuts off the blood flow completely, that specific part of the heart begins to die.

Few people survive their first heart attack and after this, they need to make some changes in their lifestyle recommended by the physician.

3. Stroke

This is a type of heart disease where the blood vessel that feeds the brain gets blocked, again due to blood clots only. The respective brain cells do not get enough oxygen hence they start to die. As a result, there will be a loss of specific functions such as walking, talking, movements, etc.  

The good news is that sometimes brain cells don’t die during the stroke — instead, the damage is temporary. Over time, as injured cells repair themselves, previously impaired function also improves. (In other cases, brain cells that are not damaged takes over the injured brain areas).

 One of the most common types of stroke is ischemic stroke (which means loss of blood supply to any part). Another type is a hemorrhagic stroke where a blood vessel within the brain bursts as a result of uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).

4. Heart failure

Commonly called congestive heart failure, it is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood. The common misconception is that the heart stops completely, NO! heart keeps beating but it doesn’t meet the oxygen demand of the body.

If left untreated it leads to several complications.

An abnormal heart rhythm is known as arrhythmia. There are various types where the heart beats too slow, or too fast.

• Bradycardia: Heart rate is too low (< 60 beats/min)

• Tachycardia: Heart rate is too fast (> 100 beats/min)

5. Angina pectoris

You may have heard this word in hospital, it is a medical term for discomfort or chest pain due to CAD. This is a result where heart muscles do not get enough blood for its function. This is usually seen due to the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels known as ischemia.

Symptoms of Angina pectoris include squeezing, crushing chest pain, and shortness of breath.

6. Cardiomyopathy

In this case, cardiac muscles (heart muscles) become stiffed and enlarged. This results in insufficient pumping of blood.

This is often undiagnosed, hence its numbers vary, and 1 in 500 adults might have cardiomyopathy.

Causes of Cardiomyopathy

• Family history

• Prior heart attack

• Diabetes

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure

• Viral bacterial infection.

• Alcohol or cocaine abuse

• Amyloidosis

• Pregnancy

7. Arrhythmia

Irregular or abnormally fast or slow heartbeat. Lead to abnormal rhythm hence the name arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm). If not treated properly with electrical shock (that is defibrillation) may lead to death.

Types of arrhythmia

• Ventricular arrhythmia-Rapid irregular beating of lower chambers of the heart.

• Atrial fibrillation- Rapid irregular beating of upper heart chambers.

8. Rheumatic heart disease

It is a complication of rheumatic fever, due to bacterial infection by streptococcus. It leads to a sore throat that may damage heart valves. This sore throat is different from a normal throat infection.

10 Symptoms of heart disease

Sometimes heart disease might be silent until we see the symptoms

• Chest pain

• Discomfort

• Upper back or neck pain

• Heartburn

• Extreme fatigue

• Dizziness

• Palpitation- higher heartbeats

• Shortness of breath

• Swollen feet, ankle pain

• Difficulty in walking

Why is there a risk of heart disease?

This is a leading cause of death irrespective of age, sex, and ethnicity. WHO reported the leading cause of death in the world. As per the CDC report, about 20.1 million adults under age 20 and older have Coronary Heart Disease.

One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from Cardiovascular disease.

It is a leading cause of death in the US, among African Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and white women.

How ironic it is on the one side on 29th September people stand to raise their voices for a healthy heart, majority of them are young adults only, and just the next day they go back to their same routine with the same habits that could be the cause of heart disease.

 As simple as it is- Do your part by caring for your heart!

According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, one study was conducted in YOUNG ADULTS AND 10-YEAR CHANGE IN RISK FACTOR.  The study concluded that the prevalence of several heart disease risk factors has increased among young adults.

• From 1988–1991 to 1999–2000, the prevalence of hypertension in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, increased from 5.1 percent to 7.2 percent among adults aged 18–39 years.

• Total cholesterol levels increased by 0.09 mmol/liter in men aged 29–34 years.

• From 1990 to 2000, smoking prevalence increased among adults aged 18–24 years (from 24.5% to 26.8%).

• Obesity among adults aged 20–39 years increased significantly from 1988–1991 to 1999–2000 in both men and women.

In men, it increased from 14.9% to 23.7%

In women, it increased from 20.6% to 28.4%

Risk factors of heart disease

The observed risk factors are:

• Stress

• Bad diet

• Heredity

• Blood cholesterol

• Physical inactivity

• Blood pressure

• Smoking

• Overweight

• Specific dietary cause

• Eating too much fat

• Eating too much meat

• Too much salt consumption

• Lack of vegetables in the diet

• Diabetes

• Demographic factors are:

• Age

• Male sex

• Black race  

All these are very common activities seen among young adults, instead of focusing just on outer lifestyle, and following trends, they could give time for their health and can live a healthy life as a result they will not be on the list of risk-bearing people.

How can I manage heart health?

It’s never too late to take care of yourself, start now and be consistent. You can include the following to improve your lifestyle.

• Daily exercise

• Walking

• Quit smoking, if you smoke

• Improve your diet

• Eat more fruits

• Don’t stress

• Avoid drinking

• Cut the fat and meat

• Sleep well

• Decrease the salt intake

• Keep diabetes under control

Take-Home Points

• Heart disease risks are preventable with guidance and consistency.

• Heart diseases are several types of diseases affecting the heart. These are the highest mortality disease in the world, with 1/3rd of the mortality rate in every country!

• Daily exercise and a healthy diet will help you reduce the risk of heart-related disease.

• Don’t neglect your health and healthy options for your body.

FAQ on

1. What is Atherosclerosis?

Ans. Atherosclerosis is also called the hardening of the arteries with the build-up of fats.. This causes the artery walls to thicken, and the blood vessel narrows or sometimes gets blocked.

Coronary artery disease is a form of atherosclerosis. It’s when the arteries that supply blood to the heart narrow, which can lower the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

2. What is the link between smoking and heart disease?

Ans. Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis. Among other things, the nicotine in smoke causes:

• Less oxygen to the heart

• Higher blood pressure and heart rate

• More blood clotting

• Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels

3. What Are the Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease?

Ans. There are some risk factors that you can't do anything about. These include:

• Being male

• Being a woman who is past menopause

• Being older

• Having a family history of heart attack or coronary artery disease

4. What Is Cholesterol?

Ans. It is a soft, waxy material made in the liver. It’s in foods such as egg yolks, milk fat, organ meats, and shellfish.

You can lower your high cholesterol levels by eating foods low in saturated fats, sugar, and calories.

5. How Common Is Heart Disease Among Women?

Ans. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women over 40 years old, especially after menopause. Once a woman reaches the age of 50 (about the age of natural menopause), the risk for heart disease increases dramatically.

The risk for heart disease is also higher, especially when combined with other risk factors such as:

• Diabetes

• Smoking

• High blood pressure

• Obesity

• Lack of exercise

Reference:

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease

https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/164/12/1171/76645

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm