Why is the incidence of myocardial infarction getting higher and higher? Beware of these behaviors!

Nowadays, the incidence of myocardial infarction is increasing.

Approximately 1.5 million people suffer a myocardial infarction each year in the United States.

In recent years, China has shown a clear upward trend, with at least 500,000 new cases each year.

Why is this? What are the causes of myocardial infarction?

Coronary artery stenosis is the underlying cause

Image source: Pixabay

Add the following incentives:

1. Overwork

Excessive physical labor, especially carrying heavy objects upstairs, excessive sports activities, and continuous stress and fatigue for a period of time will increase the burden on the heart and increase the myocardial oxygen demand. However, the coronary arteries of patients with coronary heart disease have become hardened and narrowed, which makes them unable to expand fully and then causes myocardial ischemia. Severe physical load can also induce plaque rupture and cause acute myocardial infarction.

2. Overeating

Many patients with myocardial infarction appear after overeating. After consuming too much high-fat and high-calorie food, the blood lipid concentration rises suddenly, causing the blood viscosity to increase and the platelet aggregation to increase. On the basis of coronary artery stenosis, it turns into a thrombus, causing acute myocardial infarction.

3. Constipation

Constipation is very common among the elderly, and it is also common for the elderly to suffer myocardial infarction due to holding their breath when constipated. Therefore, the elderly must pay enough attention to it and keep their bowels open.

4. Smoking and drinking heavily

Smoking and excessive drinking can induce coronary artery spasm and increased myocardial oxygen consumption, thereby inducing acute myocardial infarction.

5. Excitement

Caused by intense emotional changes such as excitement, tension, anger, etc.

6. Cold Stimulation

Abnormal cold stimulation can cause acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, patients with coronary heart disease should pay special attention to keeping warm. The cold season in winter and spring is one of the causes of acute myocardial infarction.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

Myocardial infarction warning symptoms:

(About 70% of myocardial infarction patients have premonitory symptoms)

1. Sudden and aggravated angina attack;

2. The nature of the angina attack has changed from the past, or nitroglycerin is not easy to relieve;

3. Pain is accompanied by sweating, nausea, vomiting, arrhythmia, hypotension, etc.;

5. The electrocardiogram shows a temporary rise or significant depression of the ST segment, an inverted or high-peaked T wave, or arrhythmia;

6. Elderly patients with coronary heart disease may suddenly experience unexplained arrhythmia, heart failure, shock, dyspnea or syncope.

The prodromal symptoms of acute myocardial infarction appear in most patients about a week before the onset of the disease, in a few patients 3-4 weeks in advance, and in some patients only one day before the onset of the disease. Once the above symptoms occur, they must be taken seriously.

Image source: Pixabay

Clinical manifestations of acute myocardial infarction:

1. Pain. Pain is the first symptom to appear. The location and nature of the pain are the same as those of angina pectoris, but it often occurs when one is at rest or sleeping. The pain is more severe and covers a wider range. It can last for hours or days and cannot be relieved by rest or taking nitroglycerin tablets. Patients are often restless, sweating, fearful, and have a sense of impending death.

2. Systemic symptoms. Mainly fever, accompanied by tachycardia, leukocytosis and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, etc., caused by the absorption of necrotic substances.

3. Gastrointestinal symptoms. About 1/3 of patients with pain experience nausea, vomiting, and upper abdominal distension and pain in the early stages of the disease, which is related to the stimulation of the vagus nerve by the necrotic myocardium and insufficient tissue perfusion due to reduced cardiac output. Intestinal flatulence is also common, and hiccups may occur in severe cases.

4. Arrhythmia: Common in 75%-95% of patients, usually occurs within 1-2 weeks after onset, especially within 24 hours, and the electrocardiogram may show diffuse abnormalities.

5. Hypotension and shock. During the pain period, blood pressure will drop, which may last for several weeks before rising again, and often cannot return to the previous level. If the pain is relieved but the systolic blood pressure is lower than 80 mmHg, the patient will be irritable, pale, have cold and wet skin, have a thin and fast pulse, sweat profusely, have a reduced urine output, be mentally dull, or even faint, which is a manifestation of shock.

6. Heart failure. This is mainly acute left heart failure, which can occur within the first few days of onset or during the recovery stage of pain and shock. Patients experience dyspnea, cough, cyanosis, irritability, etc. In severe cases, pulmonary edema or right heart failure may occur, with distended neck veins, swollen and painful liver, and edema.

Why are more and more young people suffering from heart attacks?

The most important reason is that a large amount of calories are consumed but not consumed in time, the diet tends to be high in oil and salt, and smoking, alcoholism, and staying up late become more and more frequent, causing cardiovascular diseases and then myocardial infarction.

Young people nowadays eat more and more but exercise less and less. Being fat will cause many diseases, and various "rich diseases" will follow one after another.

Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc., result in the formation of plaques in the arteries from head to toe, so myocardial infarctions are becoming more and more common and affecting younger and younger people.

How should we prevent it?

Coronary artery stenosis is the underlying cause, coupled with the following predisposing factors:

The method is also very simple - eat less and exercise more!

Keep a regular schedule and avoid staying up late and overwork

Control your emotions and eat a balanced diet

In short, in order to prevent the onset of myocardial infarction, we must actively take preventive measures in our daily lives. Good eating and rest habits are the key to preventing myocardial infarction. We must also keep our emotions stable and do appropriate aerobic exercise to maintain good health.

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

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