WHAT ARE HEART DISEASES?
Coronary heart disease—often simply called heart disease—is the main form of heart disease. It is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to heart attack. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart. Heart disease is one of several cardiovascular diseases, which are diseases of the heart and blood vessel system. Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease.
WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS OF HEART DISEASES?
People do not often expect themselves to be in danger of suffering from heart disease at a young age. However, heart disease must be considered even in the young when signs and symptoms such as these are experienced - breathlessness, chest pain, fatigue, edema, and weakness. Women may experience these symptoms differently compared to men, and instead of chest pain, they may feel chest tightness or a squeezing sensation. They may also feel fatigued even after rest. Other warning signs of heart disease include pain in the arm, neck, jaw, back, shoulders and upper abdomen, headaches, difficulty sleeping, nausea, and vomiting.
WHO ARE AT THE RISK OF DEVELOPING A HEART DISEASE?
Many young people who experience sudden death might not have been aware that they had a heart disease. Young athletes are one of the common victims of sudden death in spite of being considered to be in good health. These people are usually younger than 30 years, and studies show that the most common type of cardiac disease to affect them is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition is characterized by thickening of the heart muscles, which leads to ineffective pumping action of the heart.
Heart disease also affects young women. Factors that increase the risk of heart disease in young women include presence of heart disease in the family, elevated blood cholesterol levels, smoking, and use of birth control. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a condition that leads to heart disease at an early age. In this condition, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol builds up and this can result in a heart attack.
WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE IN YOUNG PEOPLE?
Studies show that there are common risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease among young people. These include smoking, obesity, and elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Aside from heart disease, obesity is linked to other medical conditions that also lead cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. In addition, people who live a sedentary lifestyle and abuse the use of alcohol are also factors that increase their risk for heart problems.
Heart disease is not only a problem of older adults. It may begin to develop during childhood, especially in people who have risk factors. Recognizing these risk factors and modifying one’s lifestyle to maintain a healthy heart is important in prevent heart disease in the young.
WHY KIMS?
AT KIMS, one of the best cardiology intensive care hospitals in Hyderabad, have a lifetime commitment to our patients. Not just at Hyderabad, our Cardiac Arrest Treatment Centers in Kondapur also offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient clinical services to young adults with congenital heart disease and/or pulmonary hypertension, from diagnosis to cardiac catheterization and surgical repair. Our best heart doctors in Madhapur and Hyderabad are devoted to helping our patients maximize their physical, emotional, medical and social options.