The most common causes | Causes of heart attack

The most common causes

With the number of the factors of risk also the individual risk increases to get a cardiac infarct. To the main risk groups for a cardiac infarct therefore all persons are to be counted, with whom individual or mehre factors of risk are particularly pronounced. For example, patients with a condition following a heart attack or stroke are particularly at risk, and patients with arteriosclerosis (e.g. with peripheral arterial occlusive disease) have a particularly high risk of suffering a heart attack.

Patients who have already experienced angina pectoris (tightness of the chest caused by coronary heart disease) and shortness of breath are also at high risk.

  • Nutrition plays a decisive role in the development of a heart attack due to vascular calcification. Fat-rich food increases the cholesterol levels in the blood and permanently causes plaque formation.
  • Overweight is caused by years of wrong nutrition and increases the risk of various diseases, such as high blood pressure.
  • High blood pressure: When the pressure in the vascular system is increased, the heart has to work with more force to supply the tissue.

    The increased pressure damages the sensitive inner wall of the blood vessels, which can lead to inflammation of the vessel wall and subsequent plaque formation.

  • Lack of exercise: The body is designed for a certain amount of movement. If this is permanently undercut, diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus develop. Because sufficient movement lowers the blood pressure.

    In addition, sugar consumption is increased, which prevents diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, energy is consumed during exercise and cholesterol levels are reduced.

  • Diabetes mellitus: Diabetes mellitus is caused by the fact that the blood sugar level is increased due to the cells’ tolerance to insulin. If the diabetes is poorly or not at all medicated, the blood sugar level is elevated, which in turn damages the inner wall of the blood vessels and increases blood pressure.
  • Smoking: Smoking cigarettes containing nicotine involves considerable risks.

    In addition to nicotine, many other toxins such as arsenic, tar and lead enter the body when smoking. Smoking therefore damages the whole body considerably. In the receptacles, the ingredients of cigarette, cigar and pipe promote the formation of unstable plaques, which can easily tear open.

    In addition, the ingredients cause blood pressure to rise and the risk of diabetes to increase. Already after 24 hours of not smoking the risk of heart attack decreases, after a few months the risk of heart attack of a non-smoker is reached by giving up smoking. Other circulatory disorders caused by smoking are also frequently present.

  • Disturbances of the fat metabolism: Due to wrong nutrition, too high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood lead to hyperlipidemia.

    Hyperlipidaemia increases the risk of heart attack because the LDL cholesterol is deposited in the inner wall of the blood vessels. At the same time, too low HDL values also promote plaque formation. Disturbances in fat metabolism can also be hereditary, and these can be treated with medication.

  • Chronic inflammation: Chronic inflammation caused by irritation such as smoking, increases the inflammation parameters (e.g. CRP), the inflammation damages the inner wall of the blood vessels and makes the plaques unstable.

    An example of a chronic inflammatory disease is periodontitis.

  • Male gender: Men have a higher risk of getting a heart attack than women. This is probably due to the protective effect of the female sex hormones.
  • Family exposure: If events such as a heart attack or stroke have occurred early in the family or with relatives (i.e. before the age of 60), one has an increased risk. Since in some cases there is an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease within a family, genes seem to be important to some extent here.
  • Age: A very important risk factor is age.

    The older a person is, the more calcified are his vessels. Logically, therefore, the risk of plaque rupturing and a coronary vessel closing up is also increased.

  • Alcohol: The permanent excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of suffering a heart attack, and the risks for many other diseases are also increased.
  • Stress: A heart attack can be triggered by stress. Stress can cause enormous fluctuations in blood pressure, which can cause the plaque to burst open. Thus, psychologically stressful long-term stress can increase blood pressure and thus make the occurrence of a heart attack more likely.
  • Tendency to thrombosis: Genetic diseases such as Factor V disease increase the blood’s tendency to clot, making it more likely that blood vessels will become blocked, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.