Heart attack is the leading cause of death of men and women in United States. Heart attack is a permanent damage to the heart muscle. There are many risk factors associated with heart attack. Know and identify the risk factors associated with heart attacks to prevent before you become a victim.

Risk factors associated with heart attack:

Smoking and heart attack:

Smoking is a major cause of heart attack. Smoking damages heart and blood vessels. Most heart attacks are caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries become hard and clogged.

Clogged arteries prevent in getting enough blood and oxygen to the heart and can cause chest pain or angina. When a blood clot is formed, it cuts off the blood flow suddenly in the artery and cause heart attack.

Smoking speeds up the process of atherosclerosis by damaging the cells lining the blood vessels and heart. Smoking increases the risk of blood clots because of atherosclerosis and it also causes the blood platelets to clump together.

Heart stopping news for women:

Estrogen hormone provides some protection in women from heart disease. Therefore, most women have heart attacks after menopause, especially ten years after menopause due to the decrease of estrogen in their body.

Women who have high blood pressure, metabolic syndromes, high cholesterol levels, smoke, family history of heart disease and who had their ovaries removed are prone to develop the heart attack.

Fried foods can lead to heart attacks:

Certain compounds present in fried foods can lead to heart attack. Foods high in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can cause a short lived dysfunction in blood vessel dilation that can lead to heart attack. The foods that can lead to heart diseases are French fries, hamburgers, and other fatty foods that are cooked at high temperatures.

Lack of sleep can raise the risk of heart disease:

People who cut their sleep from seven hours to four hours or less face twice the increased risk of death from heart attacks. Lack of sleep frequently can increase the chances of heart attack. Working overtime can lead to lack of sleep, which increases the blood pressure and heart rate while chronic stress can lead to abnormalities in functioning of heart.

Diabetes and risk of heart attack:

Diabetes is a risk factor of heart attack and stroke. People with diabetes have other health problems that increase the chances of heart attacks. High blood glucose levels over time can damage blood vessels, which results in thicker and less elastic blood vessel walls and makes it more difficult for the blood to pass through.

People with diabetes have abnormal blood fats, which include lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol that are caused by poor controlling of diabetes and diet. Elevated lipids can clog blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

High blood pressure and heart attack:

People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart diseases because high blood pressure puts added force against the artery walls. This extra pressure can damage the arteries. These damaged arteries become narrow and harden by fatty deposits.

Damaged arteries cannot supply enough oxygen to the other parts of the body. Therefore, high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Preventing heart attacks:

Control high blood pressure with lifestyle modifications. Quit smoking to cut the risk of heart attack by 50 percent. Sleeping seven to eight hours is important for a healthy heart. Control your glucose levels to prevent damage to the blood vessels.

Following healthy lifestyle can help to prevent heart attack. Follow a diet rich fruits and vegetables. Watch carefully the intake of types of fat that you are taking in your diet. Lower your intake of salt. Lose weight if you are obese. Limit the intake of alcohol and other caffeinated beverages. Exercising regularly improves the fitness of your heart.

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Causes of Heart Attacks – I have always been a bit overweight and was comforted by a new report that suggests that carrying just a few extra pounds may increase my life expectancy.

They have completed the most extensive and comprehensive research to date and analysis of the results of their research used the very latest technology in statistical analysis. Their conclusions have confirmed the results of those found recently in other much smaller surveys.

These showed that people who are a little bit overweight have a better life expectancy than those who are considered to be normal weight. Also those people who are under-weight carry a risk of a shorter than normal life expectancy.

Being overweight has always been listed as one of the Causes of Heart Attacks . But now it seems as if we can all get away with being just a few pounds over what was originally agreed as the Healthy Weight.

Analysing these new results has come up with some surprising findings. The biggest causes of deaths in America is still smoking but being over-weight used to be the second biggest killer. Now, being over-weight has moved down the list from number 2 to number 7.

It is thought that this is due to more public awareness on diet and lifestyle. More people are looking at their food intake and deciding to eat healthier foods, take measures to keep their cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check, and increase their exercise and energy levels.

Commentators on this new report suggest that maybe the medical community and the government need to review the levels that were originally defined as normal and raise them in line with this new research.

This research only applies to people who are just a bit over-weight. For the people who are considered to be very or morbidly obese then the same old rules apply and this is still one of the major Causes of Heart Attacks .

Sue Roberts

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Copyright (c) 2008 Kevin Reilly

For anyone who has suffered a heart attack, you’ll know how difficult it can be to get back on your feet. Not only do you have to make lifestyle changes to prevent the risk of another heart attack, there are emotional as well as physical demands on your body. It’s not just a matter of surviving a heart attack; it’s the effects a heart attack has on your life that can be just as big a problem.

Depending on the severity of a heart attack, the options open to someone will be very different. A major heart attack will mean some huge changes to your current day-to-day routine, while a milder heart attack will offer a bit more leeway. However, any kind of heart attack is a serious warning about your overall health, and the need to make life changes to prevent one from happening again.

Medical Aftercare One of the first things that will happen is that you will need to go for more regular check-ups at your doctor or family physician’s. Here you will get advice about how to reduce the chances of a follow-up heart attack – unfortunately, people who suffer a heart attack are 50% more likely to have another one within 12 months if they don’t make changes to their lifestyle.

You’ll be encouraged to give up smoking if you haven’t already; what to eat, and what to avoid, will also be covered; and you may even have to go on a heart attack prevention course of medication. These can include drugs to control blood pressure, as well as anti-stress medication. Anything that controls the symptoms of a heart attack will be covered with your medical follow-up.

Normal Activities Although you’ll probably want to get back to normal as quickly as possible, the very fact that you’ve suffered a heart attack will prevent this to some degree. Depending on the severity of the heart attack, it’s likely that you will be fine for walking after a week or so. However, other day-to-day activities such as sexual *********** or driving may have to wait a few weeks more, to make sure there are no complications or follow-up chest pains.

Changes to the Family Life Perhaps the biggest hurdle anyone that suffers a heart attack needs to overcome is the emotional and psychological effect it has. This isn’t just on you, either – your family and loved ones will have gotten just as big a scare as you by your heart attack. So it’s only natural that they may act differently around you – more refrained, for example.

You need to ensure that they know that you realise it’s been a shock, but together you can ensure that it’s less likely to happen again. By getting everything in the open, and discussing the reasons for your heart attack, it will make sure that everyone is in a better position to help you prevent what caused the heart attack in the first place.

Talking about it will also enable you to get back to normality quicker. One of the biggest problems after a heart attack is depression, and fear that you’ll suffer another heart attack. Having the love and support of your closest friends and family will help you through this difficult period, and hopefully prevent future symptoms or heart attacks from happening again.



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