A heart attack, also called myocardial infarction, occurs when a blocked coronary artery disrupts blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. This can lead to damage of the affected heart tissue, potentially causing chest pain, shortness of breath, and life-threatening complications. Several factors can increase your risk of a heart attack ranging from high cholesterol, raised blood pressure, obesity and more.
A recent study found two additional factors that can increase one’s chances of developing a fatal heart attack. We spoke to Dr Abhijit Joshi, HOD and Consultant Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Baner, Pune, to shed light on the same.
The Study Findings
According to the study published in the Journal Circulation, extreme heat and high levels of air pollution may double the risk of deadly heart attack.
The research looked at and analysed more than 2,02,000 heart attack deaths between 2015 and 2020 in Jiangsu province, China. It investigated the association of exposure to extreme temperature events, including heat wave and cold spell, and PM2.5, ambient fine particulate matter, with myocardial infarction mortality and evaluated their effects.
The study findings suggested that extremely high or low temperatures or a high level of particulate matter pollution increased the odds of heart attack mortality, especially for women and older adults.
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Dr Joshi explains, "Extreme heat particularly can affect people who already suffer from comorbidities such as diabetes. These patients are already on medications to reduce the load on the heart and experience frequent urination. If they are exposed to extreme heat, it can cause dehydration and can increase the risk of heart attacks. Furthermore, extreme heat can be fatal for patients who already suffer from heart problems and have low blood pressure due to excessive sweating."
"Similarly, air pollution can be dangerous for those patients who have comorbid respiratory problems like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or asthma,” he adds.
Dr Joshi also discusses the impact of cold temperatures on heart health. “Early morning heart attacks, because of the low temperature, are also one of the very important contributors of acute stroke or heart attacks,” he says, explaining, “Extreme cold can precipitate angina (chest pain) generally; blood vessels of the heart or other system can go into contraction and can cause event.”
The doctor recommends maintaining proper hydration in the body and increasing the amount of fluid intake, especially during extreme heat. People who have prior experience of heart attacks, are old, have diabetics, or have poor heart pumping, they should be extra cautious and stick to medications. Lastly, people with poor lungs should avoid going to closed spaces, especially where there is lack of ventilation, the doctor shares.
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Heart Disease Prevalence
In general, an estimated 1.79 crore people died from Cardiovascular Diseases in 2019, representing 32% of all global deaths, says the World Health Organization (WHO), adding that 85% were due to heart attack and stroke.
As per a study published in the Journal BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, which looked at 22 studies with a sample size of 29.826.717 individuals, heart attack cases in people below the age of 60 was 3.8% worldwide.
In India, CVDs have become the leading cause of mortality. "Ischemic heart disease and stroke are the predominant causes and are responsible for >80% of CVD deaths," says a 2016 study published in the Journal Circulation, adding, "The Global Burden of Disease study estimate of age-standardised CVD death rate of 272 per 100 000 population in India is higher than the global average of 235 per 100 000 population."
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Other Risk Factors Of Heart Attack
Here are the other risk factors of heart attack:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol levels, particularly LDL ("bad") cholesterol
- Smoking or tobacco use
- Diabetes
- Obesity or being overweight
- Family history of heart disease
- Sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity
- Unhealthy diet high in saturated fats, trans fats, and sugars
- Age (risk increases with age, especially for men over 45 and women over 55)
- Gender (men are generally at higher risk than premenopausal women)
- Stress and chronic mental health conditions
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Chronic kidney disease
Bottomline
With many parts of the world experiencing extremely high temperatures and air pollution levels, it's important to assess your risk of heart attack. Individuals with some or all of the above-mentioned risk factors may not necessarily experience a heart attack, but should still be vigilant. Similarly, people without these risk factors can still be affected. Lifestyle modifications and medical management can help mitigate these risks.