Definition
More than 300,000 people suffer an acute heart attack in Germany every year. Among the risk factors to suffer a heart attack, smoking is in first place, followed by high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes mellitus. In the coronary arteries, deposits, so-called plaques, develop which grow into the lumen of the vessels, so that the blood can flow more poorly. If a small piece is torn out of the plaque, a blood clot (thrombus) can form, which eventually clogs a vessel completely. If the blood flow is completely interrupted at this point, the heart muscle is no longer supplied with sufficient oxygen and a heart attack develops.
Risk factors for a heart attack
The following factors can represent a risk factor for a heart attack:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Elevated blood fat values (LDL cholesterol)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Stress
- Age
- Hereditary factors: Family history of heart attacks or strokes
- Already had a heart attack
- Arteriosclerosis
- Diseases like peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAVK)
With increasing age, the risk of suffering a heart attack also increases, since our blood vessels are also subject to a completely natural aging process. From the third decade of life onwards, a slow natural vascular calcification sets in, which can be of varying degrees. As a result, the risk of a heart attack increases with age.
For men, the risk age for a heart attack is over 45 years, for women it is over 55 years. Smoking is an important risk factor for a possible heart attack. This is because the nicotine contained in cigarettes reduces the oxygen content in the blood.
Stress hormones are released in the body and the blood vessels are narrowed. This causes the blood pressure to rise. The red blood cells, the erythrocytes, are responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood vessels.
If the oxygen content of the blood drops, the body tries to compensate for the deficiency and produces more erythrocytes. The erythrocytes are disturbed by substances contained in the smoke, such as mobility, and the blood becomes more viscous. More viscous blood tends to clog vessels.
Furthermore, nicotine generally increases blood pressure and indirectly also increases cholesterol levels. Diabetes mellitus can have serious consequences if the blood sugar level is poorly adjusted. In the course of the disease the blood vessels can be damaged in the context of a diabetic micro – and macroangiopathy, so that Arteriosklerose develops as consequence of the diabetes.
This means that long-term high blood sugar levels in the blood vessels cause tiny inflammations that heal but leave traces, similar to scars. Over time, lime (plaques) develops in addition to broken residual tissue made up of fat and binge tissue. The main negative effect is that the blood vessels become stiffer and narrower.
The surrounding tissue is not supplied with blood as well and if plaques are torn off and washed away with the blood, they can block smaller vessels and thus trigger an infarction. If the heart vessels are affected by diabetic macroangiopathy, there is a risk of a heart attack. Being overweight is generally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with fat deposits in the abdominal area being particularly dangerous. With men speaks of a risk increase starting from 102 cm belly extent, with women already starting from 88 cm.
