Cold and windy weather can trigger heart attacks

Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Hasan Karabulut states that although it is seen more frequently in men, the notion that 'heart disease is a man's disease' is not accurate.

He says that coronary heart disease is more common in women than breast cancer and other diseases, and that it is the number one cause of death in women, just as it is in men. He adds that the risk of death from a first heart attack is twice as high in women as it is in men.

Accounting for 33 percent of deaths in our country, heart attacks are the leading cause of death worldwide. However, research shows that this risk can be reduced through certain lifestyle changes.

Especially since the current winter season causes heart vessels to narrow and increases blood pressure, leading to a faster heart rate, Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Hasan Karabulut advises being more cautious in cold weather. 

BEWARE OF INTENSE WORK PACE

Some factors that lead to heart attacks are considered modifiable, while others are considered non-modifiable risk factors. 'Genetic predisposition, gender, advanced age, diabetes, and stress' are at the top of the list of non-modifiable risk factors.

Diabetic patients are in a higher-risk group not only for coronary heart disease but also for stroke, heart attack, and sudden death. The risk increases with age, but unhealthy and irregular nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol consumption, and intense physical activities are causing sudden heart attacks to occur at younger ages today. Furthermore, studies show that an intense work pace and stress trigger the development of heart diseases and heart attacks.

COLD WEATHER CAN TRIGGER HEART ATTACKS

Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Hasan Karabulut also notes that cooling weather negatively affects heart health. Cold and windy weather can trigger a heart attack by further narrowing a vessel that is already present and clinically asymptomatic, as well as by increasing blood pressure and heart rate. For this reason, it is of great importance for people with heart conditions to pay attention to their lifestyle habits in cold weather.

SMOKING MUST BE QUIT

When we look at modifiable risk factors, 'smoking, hypertension, obesity, cholesterol, and inactivity' stand out. In people who smoke, oxygen reaching the heart decreases; blood pressure, heart rate, and blood clotting increase. Therefore, the first risk factor that must be eliminated in the reduction and prevention of cardiovascular diseases is smoking.

Since nearly half of the patients with hypertension in the community are unaware of it, it is emphasized that it is beneficial to have blood pressure measured from time to time, as hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease.

Treating obesity, one of the significant diseases of our age, and lowering blood lipids, i.e., cholesterol, also reduces the risk of heart attack. A sedentary lifestyle is considered a risk factor at least as important as these.

STENT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON METHODS

Stating that today's medical techniques are developing every day, Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Hasan Karabulut explains that there are many different treatment methods for heart attacks. Accordingly, a coronary angiogram can be performed on a patient having a heart attack as soon as possible, and a stent can be applied to the blocked vessel causing the heart attack.

The stent method restores blood flow with a small, mesh-like ring placed in the heart vessels. If the patient has multi-vessel disease, a balloon procedure is performed on the blocked vessel causing the heart attack to provide temporary blood flow.

The patient is then referred for emergency coronary bypass surgery.

News Source: 12punto