MOST people who suffer heart attacks are in the 40 to 50 age range. However, Windhoek-based cardiologist Simon Beshir attended to an 18-year-old patient who had suffered what he termed a classic heart attack a few years ago.
His young patient survived, but the doctor believes preventing a heart attack with a healthy lifestyle is crucial to decreasing the chances of it happening, even when it runs in the family.
Beshir, who is a practising cardiologist at the Roman Catholic Hospital, said heart attacks are common in Namibia. In an interview with this reporter on Monday, the heart doctor said that the majority of patients who develop a heart attack have never had any cardiac problem or symptoms prior to the episode. He said that over 2 300 heart procedures are done a year in Namibia between the state and private hospitals, with approximately 3 000 patients a year.
A heart attack is caused by a sudden blockage of a heart artery (the tube that brings the blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle). As soon as the blood stops flowing to the heart muscle, the heart may stop working and that could cause sudden death. Beshir explains that about 20% of heart attack sufferers die immediately, or before they reach the hospital.
Beshir says heart attacks generally occur in patients between the ages of 45 and 50, and more often in men. Other people at risk are patients with diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol as well as smokers. He also confirmed that long-term sleep deprivation increases stress, which in turn increases the level of adrenaline circulating in the blood, and that, in turn, increases the risk of having a heart attack.
“Having said that, we have already treated an 18-year-old [woman] with a classic heart attack,” he said, adding that it is also possible, although uncommon, for younger people to have heart attacks.
Beshir says a family history of heart attacks or strokes at a young age is the strongest risk factor, which means that “bad genes” run in the family.
“Many patients coming to us with heart attacks are the first in their family line.
In the future, we are going to be testing for the genetic predisposition for heart attacks (already available in the US), and subsequently we will investigate and treat the patients at high risk more frequently and aggressively,” he noted.
Although traditional cardiac tests, such as stress or exercise echocardiograms (ECG), or heart sonars, are tests used to determine the likelihood of a heart attack, Beshir said they do not have sufficient data to completely rule out the risk.
Beshir said it is crucial for patients who start to feel any chest discomfort or pain, shortness of breath or unusual tiredness on exertion to visit the nearest heart specialist.
He also says this is especially true if the patient is over 50, has a family history of heart disease or any of the other risk factors mentioned. If the symptoms are severe and acute, they should go to the nearest casualty immediately, he advised.
Currently, the best way to diagnose a heart attack is to check the patient’s coronary arteries through a cardiac catheter or by a specialised CT scan, which is an X-ray picture of the heart arteries.
The cardiologist explained that a cardiac catheter (or coronary angiogram) is done by inserting a tiny plastic tube via an artery in the wrist or groin and injecting contrast dye directly into the heart arteries.
“Plus, we can measure the quality of blood flow or look inside the heart arteries with a miniature ‘camera’. The test is done under local anaesthesia only,” he added.
If your heart arteries are normal, he said, you are safe and the chances of having a heart attack are not likely.
If a patient’s arteries have significant narrowing or blockages, the patient needs to be treated by inserting a stent, a small tube to keep the coronary arteries open, or, much less frequently, by undergoing a bypass operation.
These are the patients that need regular follow-ups and “maintenance” of their heart arteries, he said.
Beshir said that develop- ing proper lifestyle habits is also important in lowering the chances of having a heart attack.
According to Healthline, people who are at risk of a heart attack may be directly influenced by what they consume.
It is therefore important to eat a healthy balanced diet, such as: Reduce saturated fat in your diet (this is found in animal products, such as meat and dairy).
– Swap saturated for more healthy fat, such as olive oil and avocado
– Eat fatty fish two to three times a week
– Decrease red meat in your diet and choose only lean cuts n Limit salt and sodium in your diet, especially if you have high blood pressure
