Heart attack: contrary to popular belief, young adults are not spared

Infarctus : les jeunes adultes ne sont pas épargnés

Chaque année en France, 80 000 infarctus du myocarde sont recensés. Environ 10% des victimes décèdent dans l’heure. Fait marquant, si les plus de 50 ans restent majoritairement concernés, les populations moins âgées sont de plus en plus touchées.

Myocardial infarction – often called by misnomer "heart attack" – occurs when a clot partially or completely blocks an artery, hindering blood flow to the heart muscle. Deprived of oxygen, the muscle cells of the heart become necrotic over a more or less extensive area. The result is rhythm disturbances, heart failure, or even heart failure.

Infarction: only in the elderly ?

For a long time, myocardial infarction has been associated with advancing age. This is also an observation: the disease mainly affects men over 55 and women aged 65 to 70. However, younger subjects may also be affected. A few years ago, the FAST-MI 2015 survey told us that 23.9% of patients admitted to the intensive care unit for a heart attack were under 50 years old. Since then, numerous studies have confirmed that "heart attacks" were increasingly common among young adults. "1 in 4 heart attacks in women occurs before the age of 65 compared to 1 in 6 in 2003", illustrates the Cardio-Vascular Research Foundation.

The fault is in our lifestyles ?

A heart attack can indeed occur earlier if the person has cardiovascular risk factors. It is impossible to act on certain factors, such as age and family history. But others are largely modifiable:

Smoking. It promotes the narrowing of the arteries, the formation of clots and the appearance of heart rhythm disorders. In the long term, tobacco gradually damages the arteries. The risk of heart attack is therefore proportional to tobacco consumption; Poorly controlled diabetes. Excess glucose in the blood can indeed damage the walls of the arteries; High cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). "In the event of a too fatty diet, overweight or obesity or in the absence of physical activity, bad cholesterol increases and increases. rsquo;accumulates on the walls of the arteries in the form of fatty deposits", explains Health Insurance. "Over time, these deposits can slow and block blood circulation." The use of cannabis. Its consumption reduces the oxygen supply to the heart muscle; Excessive alcohol consumption

How to act ?

In men, the pain surrounds the chest and radiates towards the arm and jaw. Shortness of breath, sweating… For women, the most common sign is chest pain or discomfort. But the infarction can also be revealed by fatigue, palpitations and nausea.

Faced with these evocative signs, it is crucial to notify emergency services (type 15 or 18).