Ransomware Attack

London: Shortness of breath may be a sign of heart attack and lead to less survival than those with typical symptoms of chest pain, according to a study. The researchers from Braga Hospital in Portugal, showed that just 76 per cent of heart attack patients with dyspnoea or fatigue as their main symptom are alive at one year compared to 94 per cent of those with chest pain as the predominant feature. "Patients presenting with shortness of breath or fatigue had a worse prognosis than those with chest pain. They were less likely to be alive one year after their heart attack and also less likely to stay out of hospital for heart problems during that 12-month period," said Dr. Paulo Medeiros from the Hospital. "Dyspnoea and extreme tiredness were more common heart attack symptoms in women, older people and patients with other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease," Medeiros added. Chest pain is the hallmark presentation of myocardial infarction but other complaints such as shortness of breath, upper abdominal or neck pain, or transient loss of consciousness (blackouts) may be the reason to attend the emergency department. The study focused on non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), a type of heart attack in which an artery supplying blood to the heart becomes partially blocked. The study included 4,726 patients aged 18 years and older admitted with NSTEMI between October 2010 and September 2019. Patients were divided into three groups according to their main symptom at presentation. Chest pain was the most common presenting symptom (4,313 patients 91 per cent), followed by dyspnoea/fatigue (332 patients 7 per cent) and syncope (81 patients 2 per cent). Syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure. Patients with dyspnoea/fatigue were significantly older than those in the other two groups, with an average age of 75 years compared with 68 years in the chest pain group and 74 years in the syncope group. Those with dyspnoea/fatigue were also more commonly women (42 per cent) compared to patients with chest pain as the main symptom (29 per cent women) or syncope (37 per cent women). Compared to the other two groups, patients with dyspnoea/fatigue as their main symptom were more likely to also have high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). "This study highlights the need to consider a diagnosis of myocardial infarction even when the primary complaint is not chest pain. In addition to the classic heart attack symptom of chest pain, pressure, or heaviness radiating to one or both arms, the neck or jaw, people should seek urgent medical help if they experience prolonged shortness of breath," Medeiros said. (agency) Read More► Can Genetic Testing Help Evaluate Risk of Heart Disease

Until a few years ago heart diseases were common among older people in India. However, in recent years, heart ailments have become more common among the younger population in India. Heart diseases are killing approximately 17 million people in the world, and in India, there million people die each year due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) which include heart attack and stroke. Therefore, it is important to understand what causes heart attacks in younger Indians. Following are a few reasons that cause a heart attack in Indians: Over Exercising: A recent study that too much exercise may be bad for the heart. While inactivity is also linked to increase in heart diseases by giving rise to obesity and other chronic diseases, the study that was conducted displayed that the people who engage in physical activity that exceeds a recommended amount for them are more at risk of having a heart attack. Dietary Supplements: There has been no research that shows a clear benefit of supplements. However, it has been said that consuming too many supplements can be harmful. Excessive amounts of calcium and vitamin D are said to be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Although there are studies that are ongoing around this, there has been little evidence that any amount of vitamin D supplement will protect the heart. Stress and Heart Attack: In today’s fast-paced lives an individual faces a lot of stress due to their personal and professional relationships. Professionally, a lot of work takes place on a desk and the working hours are long. Therefore, this leads to young professionals having less sleep and high stress, which increases their risk of having heart diseases. Hypertension: With our current dynamic lifestyles, food habits tend to change leading to increased salt consumption. Furthermore, there is increase in the amount of stress and our lifestyles are sedentary. All the factors together have led to an increase in hypertension among younger people. People with high blood pressure are likely to develop coronary diseases because high BP adds pressure on the artery walls and over time this can destroy the arteries. Unhealthy Eating Habits: A lot of young professionals and students often go to food joints that serve unhealthy food items such as junk food. These foods have a high amount of cholesterol and trans fat which may lead to heart disease among people Hence, to reduce the number of individuals with heart attacks, drastic steps need to be taken collectively and as individuals. Organisations and healthcare professionals need to spread awareness around the growing burden of heart attacks among younger Indians and individuals need to adapt to a more holistic and healthy approach to life. Even at the slightest indication of heart disease, one must reach out to their primary care consultant to stay safe and healthy. Read More► Adopt A Simple and Affordable Lifestyle to Prevent Heart Attacks