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Causes of Heart attack

Causes of Heart attack

  • Genetic Issues - Men over the age of 50 with a family history of cardiovascular disease are more prone to an attack. In case of premenopausal women, high levels of estrogen are touted to be acting as the protective force, but the risk increases after menopause.
  • Smoking - smoking can bring upon a fair share of heart ailments. It can cause narrowing of blood vessels due to bad cholesterol or LDL deposits on the endothelium layers along the walls of the blood vessels, thereby blocking the smooth inflow of blood.
  • Fatty Diet - A diet high in saturated fat can add to the build-up of fatty deposits in the coronary arteries and significantly increase the risk of heart attack. Saturated and trans-fats such as ghee and butter increases bad cholesterol and heart attack rates.
  • Alcohol - Drinking can cause premature ageing of the arteries. According to the study, healthy men drinking more than four drinks on any day and for healthy women having more than three fall under the category of 'heavy drinking'. Regular or excessive alcohol usage can lead to weakening of the heart muscle, called cardiomyopathy, and increase your blood pressure.
  • High Cholesterol - Majority of the heart attacks occur due to cholesterol-filled blockages in the arteries that serve the heart. Blood fats or lipids consists of two kinds of cholesterol- Low Density Lipoprotein(LDL) and High Density Lipoprotein(HDL). LDL cholesterol, commonly known as the bad cholesterol, results in plaque formation on the arteries, while HDL works against forming of this plaque and help flush out the excess cholesterol from the body.
  • Diabetes - A diabetic patient’s body gradually loses its sensitivity to insulin, which leads to elevated blood sugar levels, also known as impaired glucose tolerance. If the levels are not kept under check, severe damage can cause damage of the artery walls leading to a stroke.
  • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) - high blood pressure, the pressure within the arteries is higher than normal, which impedes the natural elasticity of arteries. It also results in a larger outflow of blood pumped out of the heart, which disturbs the natural balance and leads to coronary diseases or stroke.
  • Stress - stress may raise the risk of being afflicted by a stroke. Stress is one of the major causes of all sorts of diseases.

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