Risk factors:
Tobacco
Overweight
Sedentary lifestyle (no exercise)
Alcohol abuse
High blood pressure
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Family history (genetics)
Prevention:
From the age of 35, preventive medicine should be done to see the risk factors. And to the cardiologist, people with cardiac symptoms, hypertension, family (first degree) with heart problems, etc, should assist.
No smoking
Good stable weight
Physical exercise
Healthy diet
Control of blood pressure and levels of cholesterol
General information:
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart stops or decreases.
How common is this condition?
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. This affects 4% of the world's population, which is 300 million people, this number is almost the total population of the United States. And there are 18 million deaths a year from this condition.
What to do if someone has any symptoms of a heart attack?
You should call an ambulance as soon as possible, or take the person to the hospital for an EKG.
Does gender differ the risk?
Men are more at risk than women, because during the period prior to menopause they have a protective effect from hormones. But already in menopause the risk between men and women is equal. But, unlike men, women have more atypical symptoms, which makes the diagnosis more complex.
An important factor that is often not taken into account, and can help to be aware and attentive to our health and therefore prevent a heart attack or any other disease, is to consider obstructive sleep apnea. This condition occurs when the tissues of the mouth such as the tongue relax, causing the space in the respiratory tract to be reduced and breathing to cut off for an instant.
It is important to prevent not only heart attacks by avoiding risk factors, but also other diseases, such as diabetes, since diabetics have a 60% probability of risk of a heart attack, this probability is greater than that of a healthy person with a good lifestyle.
Aspirin is a drug that is given to patients who have already had a heart attack or are at fairly high risk in portions prescribed by the cardiologist. But in the case of a person who does not need it and consumes it, they may have an ulcer or digestive bleeding. For this reason it is extremely important to always consult a doctor or if in case of having any symptoms attend immediately.
Symptoms:
Chest pain
Pain in different parts of the upper body, such as the arms or neck
Sweating
Shortness of breath
Sickness
Dizziness
Abnormal pulse
Source:
Interview with interventional cardiologist dr. Alberto Cardenas