What causes heart attacks in comparatively younger women? | Top Vip News

Lately, cases of sudden cardiac arrest, even among women, are increasing due to unhealthy lifestyles and extreme stress. Most working women hardly have time to exercise daily. Less physical activity, long working hours, lack of sleep due to prolonged use of smartphones at home, high daily consumption of junk food, extreme stress due to imbalance between professional and personal life, excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking to combat Stress is making women more vulnerable to health conditions that lead to episodes of sudden cardiac arrest. These health conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, etc. In some cases, inherited heart diseases can also contribute to cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the abrupt loss of heart function. It occurs due to an electrical malfunction in the heart, which disrupts the natural pumping activity of the heart. The heart beats very quickly and chaotically, so it cannot pump blood throughout the body. It is often fatal because the electrical disturbance inhibits blood flow in the body. Without oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other organs, the organs fail within minutes, resulting in death. Shortness of breath and heart flutters are the most prominent symptoms in women 24 hours before cardiac arrest, while chest pain is the dominant symptom in men. It is estimated that around 7 lakh deaths occur every year due to sudden cardiac arrest in India.

When SCA appears, the person loses consciousness and stops breathing. Because the heart has stopped, the victim will have no pulse. It’s an emergency situation. Experts say immediate action must be taken as the victim’s chances of survival rapidly decrease within minutes. Time is of the essence for the recognition and treatment of ACS. It can be treated and reversed, but needs to be addressed urgently. The survival rate can reach 90% if treatment is started within the first minutes after arrest.

If a patient is at risk for SCA, they may be recommended to undergo an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The ICD is a device that treats an electrical disturbance event if it occurs. It is a small device similar to a pacemaker but technically more advanced in correcting arrhythmias (rapid heart rate). Today, people can also take full advantage of the availability of an automated external defibrillator (AED) to monitor episodes outside the hospital if a patient is found to have ACS. These machines use electrical impulses to restart the heart in the event of an emergency, helping the patient continue breathing while clinical help arrives.

Some tips should be followed to have a healthy heart:

• Keep your blood pressure and sugar under control. If you notice any fluctuations, seek immediate medical help.
• Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by narrowing the arteries over a long period of time. Stop smoking in any form immediately.
• Keep your cholesterol levels within the prescribed limit.
• About 45 minutes of daily exercise are recommended, for 5 days a week.
• A postmenopausal woman should be careful with a racing heart and sudden shortness of breath.
• Women with a family history of heart disease should consider cardiac screening to detect any potential problems early.
• Exercise daily to maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Eat a well-balanced diet. Also incorporate leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits into your daily diet to keep your heart healthy.
• To reduce stress, do practices like meditation and yoga daily.
• Getting a good night’s sleep every day helps keep your brain and heart healthy
• Refrain from alcohol consumption.

(Author: Dr. Gajinder Kumar Goyal, Director of Cardiology, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad)