One in five heart attack patients are younger than 40

Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, SA’s largest provider of cardiovascular medication, says one in five heart attack patients are younger than 40.

“What many don’t realise is that there are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure (hypertension) or high cholesterol, yet both increase your risk of a heart attack and stroke.

That’s why it is so important to have these checked by your GP on a regular basis, especially if you’re 40 and older.” Heart disease is the leading cause of death in South Africa after HIV/AIDS where every hour five people suffer a heart attack.

Jennings says heart disease is preventable and the earlier you start to look after your health, the better for your heart.

The first place to start is to recognise the risk factors for heart disease:

Smoking, which damages blood vessels and contributes to heart disease. Smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke than non-smokers.

Unhealthy eating leads to excess weight gain and obesity, which both cause cardiovascular disease. It also raises LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which blocks the walls of blood vessels and increases blood pressure.

Excessive salt intake leads to water retention. This increases blood pressure and puts strain on blood vessels, the heart and other organs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no more than 5g per person of salt per day.

Physical inactivity heightens your risk of developing high blood pressure by 30-50%, as well as other diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Just 30-60 minutes of exercise (brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming) three to four times a week will help to keep your waistline in check, while improving cardiac functioning.

Heavy drinking can also lead to hypertension, heart failure as it contributes to cardiomyopathy – a disorder that impairs the heart muscle.

Stress, especially long-term stress increases cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which raises blood cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure – all common risk factors for heart disease. Chronic stress could also trigger unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking, smoking and other substance abuse, which are all bad for your heart.

Jennings says making small changes to your diet by eating more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains and reducing salt consumption is a much safer way to lose weight, than resorting to extreme dieting.

Warning signs of a heart attack in men include chest pain and/or discomfort, which can spread to the arms, neck, jaw or back.  Dizziness or light-headedness, feeling nauseas, indigestion, unexplained sweating or shortness of breath are also critical signs.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call:

• National ambulance response – 10177
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• Private emergency response, Netcare911 – 082 911
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• National medical emergency response, ER24 – 084 124