Heart attack is an interruption of blood flow to the heart that can be caused by fat buildup in the arteries, increased blood pressure and obesity, for example.Learn about acute myocardial infarction.
Heart attack can occur in both men and women, being more common after age 40.Healthy lifestyle habits, such as a balanced diet and regular physical activity, may be adopted to reduce the risk of heart attack.Thus, in addition to preventing heart attack, other cardiovascular diseases, such as arrhythmias and mitral insufficiency, are prevented.
Infarction can be caused by blockage of blood flow to the heart due to certain factors, such as:
Atherosclerosis is the main cause of myocardial infarction and is mainly caused by excessive consumption of foods high in fat and cholesterol, which favors the formation of fatty plaques inside the arteries, preventing normal blood circulation and causing a infarction.Learn more about the main causes of atherosclerosis.
High blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, can promote a heart attack because, due to increased blood pressure within the arteries, the heart begins to work harder, thickening the arterial wall and thus making it difficult for blood to pass through.
High blood pressure can be caused by several factors, such as excessive salt consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, or even genetic alteration. See what your symptoms are and how to treat high blood pressure.
People with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease because, usually associated with diabetes, there are atherosclerosis and unhealthy lifestyles, such as an unbalanced diet and lack of exercise.
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which there is a decrease in insulin production or resistance to its activity in the body, leading to a buildup of glucose in the blood.Understand what diabetes is and how treatment is done.
Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease because it is a disease characterized by a sedentary lifestyle and excessive consumption of foods high in sugar and fat, which promotes the development of various diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which promote the occurrence.heart attacks.. Learn more about obesity complications and how to protect yourself.
Frequent and constant use of cigarettes can cause inflammation of the lining of blood vessels and consequent hardening, making the heart work harder and promoting a heart attack, as well as stroke, thrombosis and aneurysm.In addition, smoking promotes better absorption of cholesterol and therefore stimulates the production of new fatty plaques, that is, it promotes atherosclerosis.See other illnesses caused by smoking.
Illicit drug use and excessive alcohol use can increase the risk of heart attack due to increased blood pressure. See what the effects of alcohol are on the body.
In addition to the aforementioned causes, heart attack can also result from psychological disorders, such as depression or stress, for example, the use of certain drugs and, mainly, sedentary lifestyles, as it is often associated with bad eating habits.Discover some tips for getting out of a sedentary lifestyle.
Watch the video below and see what you should eat to prevent a heart attack:
The consequences of a heart attack depend on the severity of the disease.When the heart attack affects only a small area of the heart, the chance of having no consequences is greater, however, in most cases, the main consequence of the heart attack is the modification of the contraction of the heart muscle, which can be classified as:
Other possible consequences of heart attack include cardiac arrhythmias or a disruption of mitral valve function, resulting in mitral insufficiency.Understand what mitral insufficiency is.