These 4 Common Health Problems Can Cause Early Heart Attacks

Being at risk of a heart attack frequently comes with the territory of getting older, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you monitor some key factors in your health, it can be possible to prevent having a sudden cardiac event. According to a new study, those risk factors can be boiled down to four common issues. 

The research published by the European Society of Cardiology shows just how these problems may cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including incidents like heart attacks and strokes. If you have high cholesterol levels above roughly 236 mg/dL; high blood pressure of 130 mmHg or higher systolic pressure and/or 85 mmHg diastolic pressure; high blood sugar levels of about 101 mg/dL; and a waist circumference of about 40.1 inches for men and 34.6 inches for women, you might be at greater risk of having cardiac problems. 

“Many people in their 40s and 50s have a bit of fat around the middle and marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or glucose but feel generally well, are unaware of the risks and do not seek medical advice,” study author Dr. Lena Lönnberg said of the findings. “This scenario, called metabolic syndrome, is a growing problem in Western populations where people are unknowingly storing up problems for later in life. This is a huge missed opportunity to intervene before heart attacks and strokes that could have been avoided occur."

"As metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, the level of each individual component does not have to be severely raised," she added. "In fact, most people live with slightly raised levels for many years before having symptoms that lead them to seek health care."

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While all of these conditions can lead to an increased risk of cardiac issues, Lönnberg noted that people should pay especially close attention to their blood pressure. "Blood pressure was the riskiest component, particularly for women in their 40s, highlighting the value of keeping it under control," she said.

Metabolic syndrome may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, but that doesn't mean it's completely out of your control. Making sure we're on top of our health can often alert us to potential anomalies before they cause even more problems. 

"The results underline the importance of early detection of risk factors through health screening programs so that preventive actions can be taken to prevent heart attack, stroke and premature death," Lönnberg said. "As a general rule of thumb, even if you feel well, check your blood pressure every year, avoid smoking, keep an eye on your waist circumference, and last, but definitely not least, be physically active every day."