New research warns that major heart attack rates among younger obese Americans are on the rise, as secondary conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remain high. The findings of this research study conducted by Dr. Samir Kapadia, a professor of medicine and section head of interventional cardiology, indicate that the average age of patients who suffer major heart attacks is now lower when compared to the past two decades.
Young Patients & Major Heart Attacks
During the study, researchers examined heart disease risk factors of around 4,000 patients who had suffered and were treated for ST-elevation heart attacks (STEMI). Also known as a myocardial infarction, this type of heart attack causes the deterioration of the myocardium artery, and is triggered by a severe plaque blockage that interrupts vital blood supply to the heart. Among all the types of heart attacks, STEMI carries the most significant risk for death and disabilities that require long-term care.
Myocardial Infarction Diagram
Dr. Kapadia and other researchers analyzed patient data from 1995 to 2014 and found that the average age of the 4,000 patients treated for STEMI heart attacks dropped drastically from 64 to 60. Additional data components revealed that the rates for obesity among this age group increased from 31% to a staggering 40% over the two decades. Researchers also noted that complications from conditions like obesity also increased the rates of diabetes from 24% to 31% among the patients observed, and high blood pressure in nearly 4 out of the 5 STEMI cases analyzed.
Obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are driving factors.
The implications of this research study suggest that the increase in obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes are driving factors for STEMI in younger patients. Another element contributing to the decrease in the average age of patients that suffer major heart attacks is smoking induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This form of COPD increased from 5% to 12% among the patients observed. The increase in cases of heart attacks among younger patients suggests that preventative measures must be taken to curb rates of obesity and related complications like high blood pressure and diabetes to lower rates of heart attacks.
