Cardiologist Said Heart Disease Among Young People Due to Lifestyle

• Jim LiuA cardiologist at Ohio State University explains why heart disease is on the rise among young people.
• Some studies show that young people are dying of heart attacks at a higher rate than in the past.
• A sedentary lifestyle, e-cigarettes, sleep deprivation and chronic health conditions may be behind this trend.

Heart problems are on the rise among young people, an unlikely demographic.

People between the ages of 25 and 44 have seen a nearly 30% increase in heart attack deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2022. study It was performed by Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

another study A Johns Hopkins paper published in 2018 examined 28,000 heart attack hospitalizations over a 20-year period and found that women aged 35 to 54 heart attack rates were found to increase.

Heart disease is an umbrella term that encompasses heart health problems such as heart attacks, arrhythmias, and other damage to different parts of the organ. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are usually the underlying causes of many types of heart disease, but lifestyle changes and national trends may be behind the rise in heart disease among young people. Dr. Jim Liua cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Liu told Insider that in the last five to 10 years he’s seen young people with heart disease come to him for treatment. Perhaps surprisingly, the cardiologist noted that many of his new young patients had no traditional risk factors and could be susceptible to other problems and indicators that could increase their overall risk. said to have a nature.

plus, data A survey in Ohio found that 47% of people under the age of 45 did not believe they were at risk for heart disease. This could also be the trend behind the rise in heart attacks, Liu said.

One of the reasons could be the recent rise in obesity, Liu said. The prevalence of obesity rose from 3% before the pandemic to 4.4% between 2020 and 2021. federal datamore people increased their alcohol intake. Young people are already more prone to sedentary lifestyleLiu said the pandemic may have led to lower exercise rates.

“Because of the pandemic, people may be a little less active and the quality of their diets may decline,” Liu said. “So it can lead to worsening blood pressure, weight gain, and long-term health problems, especially cardiovascular problems.”

Liu said young people may not know much about heart disease risk factors. The doctor said it’s possible. Other risk factors that can put young people, especially young people, at risk for heart disease are illicit drug use, sleep deprivation, and chronic conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV, doctors said.

Overall, Liu said more research is needed to fully understand why Americans get heart disease at younger ages than in the past. , encouraged awareness of lifestyle factors that worsen heart health and the importance of exercise and diet to prevent this problem in order to lower risk factors.

“For example, blood pressure, diabetes, or [high] Make sure your cholesterol is under control with regular health care. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. ”