Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks or strokes are one of the leading causes of death globally. World Health Organisation estimates that 32% of global deaths in 2019 occurred due to CVDs, out of which 85% of deaths were due to heart attacks and strokes.
Heart attacks and strokes happen in severe cases when the supply of blood to the heart and brain is stopped completely by a blockage. It is a concern that Cardiac arrest is on the rise, especially post-COVID times. The increasing number of cases has created the curiosity behind the causes of this rise. In this article we’ve compiled a list of factors that directly impact one’s heart health and encourage many heart diseases. However, before digging deeper let’s know the types of heart diseases first.
- Coronary Heart Disease – This happens when blood vessels supplying the heart are impacted.
- Cerebrovascular Disease – Blood vessels in the brain cannot function smoothly disrupting the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain.
- Peripheral Arterial Disease – This happens when veins and arteries in our hands and legs are blocked or damaged.
- Rheumatic Heart Disease – Here the heart’s muscle and its valves are affected by rheumatic fever which is seen more often in children. One of the major causes of high heartbeat can be fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
- Congenital Heart Disease – A child is born with aberrations in heart structure as normal development is stunted.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism – Here clots are formed in the veins of the legs which ultimately move to the heart and lungs.
Reasons for the Rise in Heart Attacks
The most common factors responsible for the recent rise in heart attacks are lifestyle choices, poor diet choices, and excessive use of tobacco and alcohol. The below mentioned are being a few reasons:
Unhealthy Diet
Unhealthy food choices, aerated drinks, processed and refined food products etc. have become silent killers. They cause obesity and high blood cholesterol eventually leading to a rise in cardiac deaths.
Lack of Exercise
A sedentary work life and technology dependency increase fat deposition in the body. This eventually leads to a probable rise in strokes and heart attacks.
Smoking and Tobacco Consumption
Even occasional use of tobacco or light smoking can increase plaque formation. Smoking reduces the oxygen supply to the heart and lungs and can add to early heart problems.
Family Background
Various cardiomyopathies, electrical instability or channelopathies are also responsible for the rise in cardiac deaths. A family history of cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart attacks should be warning signals to look out for.
Diabetes being a Major Cause
High blood sugar level increases arterial damage and is one of the major causes of high blood pressure and heart rate. People with Type 2 Diabetes are more prone to heart attacks. They must have a proper diet and exercise as a precaution.
High Stress Levels
With the rise in stress levels due to work pressure, work-life imbalances, and fast-paced day-to-day life, we often tend to ignore our health and this leads to heart attacks and strokes on the rise.
Hypertension
High blood pressure is the most common reason why are heart attacks on the rise. Once you have consistently high blood pressure, it is hypertension. It results in stress on the artery walls, which is one of the causes of high heartbeat and finally leads to stroke.
Inadequate Health Facilities
According to the World Health Organisation, the primary health facilities in lower and middle-income countries are poor and inaccessible to most people. Hence, prevention or early detection of heart problems is low and people die at a young age.
Age
The older you grow, the higher your chances to be exposed to lifestyle-related diseases. Hence, age is another reason for rise of cardiac arrest cases in the past few years. Men after the age of 45 years and women after the age 50 years are highly prone to cardiac diseases.
Impact of COVID
Research suggests that increased inflammation that occurs in severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 increases the heart attack risk manifold. The rise in heart attacks COVID has been significant as the virus attacks coronary arteries and ads to inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques.
Treatment / Surgery for Heart Attacks
There are prescribed drugs depending on the severity of the condition a patient has. It is best to treat hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and high blood pressure at the primary stage with medication to prevent future attacks. Basic medicines that you should keep handy include
- Aspirin: This helps in reducing blood clotting and minimising arterial damage.
- Beta-blockers: Certain medications help reduce heart workload and blood pressure and put a check on causes of high heartbeat.
- ACE Inhibitors: These again function similarly to beta blockers by reducing blood pressure and cardiac distress.
- Statins: Statins are used to control the ‘Bad cholesterol’ or high LDL (Low-density Lipoprotein), which blocks and damages arteries.
- Nitroglycerin: These medications help in smoothening blood flow by widening blood vessels.
- Balloon Angioplasty: A small balloon-like device is inserted to open up the blocked artery.
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG): By using veins and arteries from other parts of the body, blood is rerouted to the heart bypassing the blocked blood vessel. Some other surgical procedures include valve repair or replacements, and heart transplants which are not only complicated but also expensive. Sometimes artificial devices like pacemakers, patches, and prosthetic valves are also used to contain the severity of heart damage. If you experience these signs, do not ignore or delay the doctor's visit. These minor signs may be often confused with other illnesses but they may coincide with silent heart attacks.
- Chest Pain: A low sporadic chest pain may be an indication of a silent heart attack. It might be brief or minimal but you should immediately contact your doctor.
- Breathing Trouble: This is often mistaken as fatigue or any respiratory problem. But if you feel exhaustion along with disorientation it might be a sign of a silent heart attack.
- Nausea: This subtle sign is often misdiagnosed as a viral infection or gastrointestinal problem. If you feel nauseous without any immediate digestive malfunction, inform your doctor and take adequate precautions.
- Cold Sweat: If you experience cold sweat without being tensed or without any physical exhaustion, it might be a silent signal of a heart attack.
Along with medications, doctors also emphasise the importance of regular check-ups to prevent any unwanted incidents. However, for acute cases of strokes and heart attacks, surgery might be the only way to recovery.
Hence, awareness and a proactive attitude towards health can prevent unprecedented mishaps and make you lead an active, healthy life.
Heart Attack Preventive Measures
To lower the risk of heart attacks you can follow these simple preventive measures:
- Maintain a healthy diet by having nutrient-rich food and avoiding fast food loaded with trans fats and sugar. This will help you to control your weight as well.
- Exercising regularly improves circulation and helps reduce blood cholesterol and unnecessary fat.
- Atherosclerosis or thickening of arterial walls happens as an effect of smoking. So quitting tobacco reduces heart-related issues and also improves overall health. Alcohol consumption should be in moderation only.
- Stress management and adequate sleep reduce the chances of coronary diseases.
As heart disease are on the rise amongst the young generation as well, mindful precautions and awareness will lower the number of cases for sure.
To Sum Up
Self-care with regular check-ups and early detection can prevent disasters. But they can also eat into your savings if not supported by health insurance specifically catering to heart ailments.
Considering all these factors, Care Health Insurance has introduced a product called Care Heart that can provide custom-made solutions to those having existing heart problems as well as to those who have a family history of heart ailments. It takes care of your present and future expenses related to surgery, check-ups, hospitalisations, etc. With heart attacks on rise, the demand for heart-related medications is also increasing giving rise to medical inflation. If you are suffering from cardiovascular distress or have someone in your family suffering from it, get in touch with us and invest in Care Heart to take care of your medical bills.
>> Also Read: Why should you invest in Heart Insurance?
Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only: Policy Assurance and Claims at the underwriter's discretion.
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