The Northwestern University study shows that women have a higher risk of having a stroke than men, but a lower risk of having a heart attack. For 45-year-old women without any serious risk factors, the probability of having a heart attack or stroke in their lifetime is 4.1%, while having 2 or more risk factors increases to 30.7%.
The reasons can be very different: from emotional problems to cold and poor air quality. We put together several factors that can lead to a heart attack to avoid potential negative consequences.
Emotional Distress
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada analyzed data from 12,461 patients (mean age 58) who participated in Interheart, a study consisting of patients with first heart attacks in 52 countries.
Participants answered a questionnaire about whether they experienced any of the triggers in the hour before their heart attack. They were also asked if they had experienced any of the triggers in the same hour-long period the day before the heart attack.
As a result, they found that these triggers could be the reason for a heart attack, but are not related to age, bad habits, or extra weight.
Study author Andrew Smyth said that extreme physical and emotional triggers have similar effects on the body. They change blood flow and decrease blood supply to the heart. Patients are advised to avoid stressful situations.
Bad Air Quality
The study of more than 16,000 patients by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City looked at patients who had suffered three types of heart attacks. They tried to determine what type of heart attack was most popular on days when the air was really bad.
As a result, researchers have found a connection between poor air quality and the most dangerous type of heart attack. Scientists recommend getting out of town whenever possible.
Divorce
A study from the Carolina Institute showed that divorce is closely related to a high risk of a heart attack. Divorced patients have an 18% higher risk than married ones.
The author of the research, Joel Omm, said that single or widowed men have a higher risk of having a heart attack than women with the same condition. It is better to solve problems peacefully and not make the situation critical.
Pregnancy
A test conducted by the University of Southern California showed that changes caused by pregnancy (including hormonal imbalance and an increase in the amount of blood that passes through the body) can increase the risk of a heart attack during pregnancy. and 12 weeks after having a child.
Heart attacks during pregnancy are usually very serious and carry many complications. Most of the time, it is impossible to use a standard treatment approach because each patient is unique.
Pregnant women need to take good care of their hearts and have them checked regularly by doctors.
Anger
The study carried out at the University of Sydney reveals that the risk of a heart attack is 8.5 times higher in the 2 hours after an intense outburst of anger. Dr. Thomas Buckley said that the triggers are arguments with family members (29%) and others (42%), as well as irritation at work (14%) and while driving (14%).
Anger and anxiety are related to a person’s increased heart rate, blood pressure, and blood clotting. All these things end up causing a heart attack. In such situations, doctors recommend taking sedatives to ease the burden on the heart.
How do you take care of your heart? Let us know in the comment section below!
