Doctors are warning young people to be aware of signs of a heart attack after ‘alarming’ data showed the average age of victims is skewing younger.
The number of Americans 18-44 who suffered a heart attack rose by two-thirds in the past four years, many of whom led seemingly healthy lifestyles.
Some heart attacks strike suddenly, with the most common symptoms including sudden pain, heaviness or a tight sensation in the chest.
But cardiologists warn symptoms can start hours, days, or weeks before the actual heart attack, and some of the signs could be dismissed for other, less serious issues.
Dr Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai in New York, told DailyMail.com that waking up sweating more than usual could be a warning sign.
Raquel Hutt, 24 years old and from New York City, shared online the first warning sign of her heart attack was a shooting pain in her left arm that she described as the worst pain she had ever experienced
Chloe Burke went into cardiac arrest at 21 years old while cheering at the University of Houston. She is now educating others about cardiac arrest
Data shows roughly 0.3 percent of Americans aged 18 to 44 years had a heart attack in 2019, but last year that rose to 0.5 percent, or one in 200.
While that may still seem like a relatively low number, it represents a 66 percent increase in cases in just four years, which doctors call ‘alarming.’ It also means one in five heart attack patients is now younger than 40.
Doctors have blamed a combination of obesity, rampant drug use, sedentary lifestyles and bad diets for the change.
Dr Virginia Colliver, a cardiologist with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians-Heart Care, wrote: ‘Research doesn’t provide insight into why the uptick in heart attacks is happening to younger people.
‘I suspect it has to do with more people having risk factors for heart disease at an earlier age.’
Risk factors among this group include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
Diabetes, a family history of heart disease, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise and excessive alcohol use can also be risk factors.
Dr Colliver added that birth control pills and other hormonal contraception can raise the risk of a person developing a blood clot in the heart or legs and the medications can also raise blood pressure – all heart attack risk factors in younger women.
She wrote: ‘So if you have a history of high blood pressure or clotting problems, other types of contraception might be a better fit for you.
‘But for most young women, it’s safe to take birth control medication.”
A lesser-known symptom of an impending heart attack that can occur days or a week before is sweating and feeling out of breath even without working out.
Rina Devans, a mother from New York City, revealed on TikTok that a warning sign of her heart attack was pain in her neck and shoulders. The symptoms started two weeks before the attack occurred, she said
Data shows heart attack cases are on the rise, Dr Bhatt said, but doctors are still disagreeing over what could be causing the uptick
Dr Bhatt told DailyMail.com: ‘Among people who have a heart attack, a proportion — about half — will have symptoms a week or two before.
‘The most common sign before a heart attack would be chest discomfort or some sort of chest pain, that the patient often links to low levels of physical exertion or having pulled a muscle.
‘But also on the list are symptoms like shortness of breath out of the blue or with low levels of physical exertion and, in rare cases, sweating without physical exertion.’
However, studies suggest young women having a heart attack are less likely to experience chest pain, resulting in delays in treatment.
A 2012 study found 42 percent of young women who had a heart attack did not have chest pain.
Dr Bhatt also said that in some cases pain in the jaw and neck could be a warning sign of an approaching heart attack.
He said: ‘I’ve had a handful of patients referred to me from dental offices when in fact they are suffering from symptoms of a heart attack.
‘Most of the time, the pain in the jaw is a cavity, but for sure in some cases it can be a signal that a patient is at risk of a heart attack.’
He also referenced his 2022 study, which found up to 48 percent of patients experienced symptoms including pain in the neck, jaw and/or shoulder blades before a heart attack.
Doctors say this is a type of ‘referred pain’, or when pain from one part of the body is felt in another area.
This happens with the heart because it shares nerves with areas of the upper body including the jaw, neck and shoulders.
This means when pain signals are sent by the heart, it is possible they will be felt in other areas like the jaw.
Among young people to suffer this warning sign was 24-year-old Raquel Hutt from New York, who said she felt severe shooting pain in her left arm while using the bathroom, describing it as the ‘worst pain of my life’, before her attack occurred.
Other warning signs that may strike in the days before a heart attack include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and indigestion. These can also be warning signs that a heart attack is currently occurring.
Several doctors have made clips warning about the hidden symptoms for TikTok, including the above from Dr Kunal Sood, who is based in Maryland
About 805,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack every year, of which 375,000 are fatal.
People 65 and older are most likely to suffer the attacks, which are often linked to obesity, diabetes and smoking.
The attacks are often caused by small blood-clots that become lodged in an artery and cut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to part of the heart.
During a heart attack, prompt treatment is essential to avoid severe damage to the organ and death.
Patients may be administered drugs like blood-thinners to break down clots and morphine to reduce pain.
In some cases, surgery may also be performed to re-open clogged arteries and restore blood flow to critical areas.
He was speaking in response to a video posted by chiropractor and top YouTube health expert Sten Ekberg, who also said that sweating without exercise could be a warning sign someone may suffer from the life-threatening event.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk