Are You More At Risk For A Heart Attack?

A heart attack occurs when one or more of the arteries supplying blood and oxygen to the heart suddenly becomes blocked. This blockage can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and, if not treated quickly, it can result in death.

If you experience a heart attack, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson has an experienced team of professionals that will work quickly to treat the cause so the damage to your heart is minimal. If you experience chest pain or think you're having a heart attack, please call 911 immediately.

Banner-UMC Tucson offers a range of wellness and prevention services designed with your heart health in mind. Understanding your risk factors and working to keep them low can help prevent you from having a heart attack or suffering from other forms of heart disease. Per the American Heart Association, the sooner you identify and manage your risk factors, the better your chances of leading a heart-healthy life.

Look At Your Lifestyle Choices

Certain behaviors can significantly increase your risk of heart disease and heart attack. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these include:

Unhealthy diet — Eating a diet with large amounts of saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol has been linked to heart disease and related conditions. A diet with too much salt (sodium) can also raise blood pressure levels. Switching to a heart-healthy, nutritious diet can lower your risk for heart disease and help decrease your risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight or obese.

Physical inactivity — Not getting enough physical activity can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Engaging in regular physical activity also decreases your chances of having other medical conditions that are risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Too much alcohol — Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. It can also increase your risk for stroke, cancer and other diseases. Per the CDC, women should have no more than one drink a day, and men should have no more than two drinks a day.

Tobacco use — Tobacco use increases your risk for heart disease and heart attack. Cigarette smoking can damage the heart and blood vessels, which increases your risk for heart conditions such as atherosclerosis (the build-up of fats on your artery walls) and heart attack. The good news is that quitting tobacco lowers your risk of heart disease. Per the CDC, your risk for a heart attack drops sharply just one year after quitting smoking.

Manage Health Conditions That Increase Your Risk

Certain medical conditions do increase your risk of heart attack and heart disease. If you have one of these conditions, you should work with your health care provider to manage it and control what risk factors you can.

1. Obesity — Per the American Heart Association, people who have excess body fat (particularly around the waist) are at higher risk of developing heart disease, even if they have no other risk factors. Being overweight also increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and prediabetes — all of which can increase your risk of heart attack and heart disease.

If you're an adult who is overweight or obese, talk to your health care provider about making healthy lifestyle changes that can help you lose weight and reduce your risk.

2. Diabetes — Having diabetes increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. According to the American Heart Association, at least 68 percent of people age 65 or older with diabetes die from some form of heart disease.

If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to control your glucose levels and manage the disease. Eating a healthy diet can also help to manage and even reverse some types of diabetes.

3. High cholesterol — Your cholesterol levels are affected by your age, sex, genetics and diet. If you eat more cholesterol than your body can use, the extra cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, clog them and potentially cause a heart attack. Eating a heart healthy diet with less saturated fat and trans fat is the best way to lower your cholesterol.

4. High blood pressure — High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when the pressure your blood puts on the walls of arteries reaches an unhealthy level. Your age, sex, race and genetics can all contribute to high blood-pressure levels, but there are some risk factors you can control.

Per the CDC, your health care provider may prescribe lifestyle changes (such a healthy diet, exercise and quitting smoking) or medications to help lower your blood pressure. You should have your blood pressure checked regularly to make sure it is improving.

Understand Some Risk Factors Are Out of Your Control

Your risk of having a heart attack may be higher based on your age, sex or family background. As the American Heart Association points out, since you can't do anything about these risk factors, it's even more important that you manage your risk factors that can be changed.

Here's what you should know:

• While a heart attack can occur at any age, your risk increases as you get older.
• Men are at higher risk of heart attack than women, and men typically have attacks earlier in life.
• Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves.
• Heart disease risk is higher among African American, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans.

Recognize the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Common heart attack symptoms include chest pain, chest pressure, chest tightness and shortness of breath. If you're experiencing any of these warning signs, call 911 immediately. Recognizing these symptoms and reacting quickly could save your life.

If you have been diagnosed with heart problems or are having new chest-pain symptoms, Banner-UMC Tucson is here to help. It offers comprehensive heart care for every stage of your diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

More from Banner–University Medicine:
What You Need To Know About Diabetes Prevention
This Banner App Will Change The Way You Look At Health Care
Banner–University Leads The Way In Pregnancy Care

Sources:
AHA: Understand Your Risks to Prevent a Heart Attack
CDC: Heart Disease Risk Factors
Banner Health: Care for a Heart Attack
Banner Health: What Do I Do If I Am Having Chest Pains?