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October 25, 2013

Fit Facts: Staying Young At Heart

When someone you know or someone famous dies of a heart attack in their 40s or 50s, we wonder if it could also strike the rest of us in middle age.

Unfortunately, it’s quite possible. As many as 4 percent to 10 percent of all heart attacks in the U.S. occur before age 45, and most of these strike men. If you have a family member who had heart disease at an early age (mother or sister before age 65, or father or brother before age 55), you should know about your risk factors. Talk to your doctor about your family history and ask about your own risk.

How Does It Happen?  
Although the terms “heart attack” and “sudden cardiac arrest” are often thought to be the same, they are not identical.

Heart attacks occur when blood flow to the heart is blocked. During sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating abruptly and blood ceases to flow to the brain and other organs.

Sudden cardiac arrest may occur after a heart attack, and most people who are struck by sudden cardiac arrest die within a few minutes without resuscitation from CPR or a defibrillator. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths occur in men.
    
Could It Happen to Me?  
The cold fact is that some causes of heart disease, such as family history, are unchangeable. But there are many risk factors that can be modified — at any age.

A poor diet and lack of exercise can cause plaque to form in arteries as early as adolescence. This paves the way for a possible heart attack in a few decades. Already being fit or getting into shape during middle age can reduce future heart failure risk. Getting in shape after 40 is not a lost cause.

You can take charge of your heart health in middle age:

  • Quit smoking
  • Follow a healthy diet
  • Reduce blood cholesterol
  • Lower high blood pressure
  • Move every day
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Manage diabetes
  • Reduce stress
  • Limit alcohol 

Sources: Harvard Health Publications, American Heart Association 

 

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