Every year, 735,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack; this translates to one person every 43 seconds (CDC). And even though treatment has improved significantly in recent years, heart attacks are still quite fatal.
There are warning signs that a heart attack may be imminent, but these symptoms are consistent with many other health conditions. So, people don’t take them seriously until it’s too late.
If you belong to any of the following groups of people, you are at a higher risk of a heart attack than most; be more mindful of the warning signs.
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- People 65 years and older are highly vulnerable to heart attacks. Men have a greater risk than women, and men get heart attacks earlier in their lives than women do. However, women are at greater risk of dying if they suffer from a heart attack.
- If you have parents with heart conditions, you are likely to suffer from the same conditions.
- Regular smokers are at a higher risk than people who don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking also combined with other factors (like genetics and old age) exacerbate the risk of a heart attack.
- The higher your blood cholesterol levels, the higher your risk of heart disease.
- If you suffer from hypertension, you are at a high risk of heart disease. Increased blood pressure increases the heart’s workload, and the heart muscles become thicker and more rigid as a result.
- Obese people have risk factors for high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. As a result, they are highly susceptible to heart attacks.
In addition to watching out for common symptoms of a heart attack, if you belong to any of the groups above, you need to monitor your cardiovascular health regularly. If you live in Texas, visit the Internal Medicine Diagnostic Center in Magnolia for all your tests, as well as primary and preventive care. Call 281-252-8600 now for any inquiries.