• Published on: Sep 07, 2021
  • 5 minute read
  • By: Second Medic Expert

What Is The Reason For Young People To Get A Heart Attack?

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What is the reason for young people to get a heart attack?

Young people get heart attacks for the same reasons that everybody does. There's a 40% increase in attack incidence with age (the data is from 1976-1997).

The risk factors that lead to increased cardiovascular mortality in young adults include obesity combined with lack of physical activity- or lack of both physical activity and high levels of total calorie intake combined with lower rates of healthy dietary habits.

Lifestyle is a major contributor to heart disease. Heart disease can be caused by high blood levels of fat, especially triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Poor eating patterns and lack of exercise contribute to the development of these poor levels in the bloodstream, which is associated with increased risks for some types of cancer and an increased frequency of strokes.

Choosing better food items will help lower the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) that causes atherosclerosis (hardening arteries). It's necessary to add physical activity regularly because it increases motivation for making good food choices while improving insulin sensitivity and weight control benefits for type 2 diabetes patients.

A young person can get a heart attack for many reasons, such as becoming overweight and inactive, smoking cigarettes, or consuming too much alcohol. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to avoid coronary artery disease in otherwise healthy individuals. Moderate aerobic activity up to 30 minutes per day five times a week. There are cholesterol-lowering drugs that can be used in cases where diet, weight loss, and exercise therapy do not reduce high levels of LDL cholesterol enough. Statin drugs work by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase that is required to make cholesterol from other molecules in the body. They come with side effects because they slow down metabolic pathways which may interfere with muscle function.

Just because a person is young doesn't mean that they cannot be at risk for heart disease. In fact, cardiovascular disease has been increasing in people under age 45. Heart attacks occur to many young people as a result of the same factors responsible for heart disease in older individuals including cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and old-age arterial damage from being overweight or obese.

 Young people are more likely to get heart attacks because they have less resilience to the stresses that result in silent heart disease.

As we age our arteries grow stiffer. As this happens, it becomes easier for atherosclerotic plaques--made of cholesterol and other substances--to form within these narrowed blood vessels. Atherosclerosis begins during childhood and actually speeds up as you approach old age! People with the narrowest arterial walls are five times more likely to eventually have a heart attack or stroke decades later than people whose arterial walls are wider. That's why young people who develop high cholesterol levels should take steps now to slow down any progression-related risk factors that can damage their arteries, or else they will end up having a heart attack.

Young people are more likely to get heart attacks because they have less resilience to the stresses that result in silent heart disease.

As we age our arteries grow stiffer. As this happens, it becomes easier for atherosclerotic plaques--made of cholesterol and other substances--to form within these narrowed blood vessels. Atherosclerosis begins during childhood and actually speeds up as you approach old age! People with the narrowest arterial walls are five times more likely to eventually have a heart attack or stroke decades later than people whose arterial walls are wider.

People get heart attacks for various reasons, but one of the more common ones is sheer bad luck.

A few people wrongly assume that life starts at 40 so they never take care of their health. That's why many young people get heart attacks--they are terribly unhealthy because they've become totally sedentary and have developed poor eating habits. Too often, apparently, it takes years before you feel the effects of being out of shape or even mortal. One day, someone suffers a cardiac arrest while driving to work, or goes into congestive failure without knowing what's wrong--then after catching pneumonia in the hospital, dies three days later when their body finally shuts down because it has taken too much abuse in its lifetime."

Young people can start to get heart attacks for many reasons. A few of them are when they have been stressed too much when they have been obsessing with their appearance because it has been very important for them to fit in or when there has been a family history of heart problems.

A lot of the illnesses that lead up to a cardiovascular disease problem happen in young adults. For example, there's increased risk from hypertension and increased risk from high cholesterol levels in young adults who wouldn't typically be at high risk or at-risk in middle age or in an older population. So these things often cluster together and its easiest for us as cardiologists to identify this stuff early on rather than waiting until somebody's got horrible

A heart attack is a medical emergency that can happen to anyone, of any age. It occurs when there's a sudden loss of blood supply to the heart. A person will feel uncomfortable and tired suddenly, typically with tightness in the chest, pain in the jaw or neck, nausea, sweating, and/or shortness of breath.

In order for someone to get a heart attack they have to have plaque build-up in their arteries creating more cholesterol on top of this plaque which eventually causes blockages or ruptures leading you to get a cardiovascular disorder called arteriosclerosis. One way of lowering your risk of getting a heart attack is by making sure your diet does not contain too much fat-once again high intake has been found to carry elevated

Glucose is the simplest form of sugar. The pancreas releases insulin in response to elevated levels of glucose, which enables cells to retrieve this glucose for energy production. The amount of sugar consumed leads to an elevated blood sugar level, increasing blood glucose and insulin hormone outputs.

For young people, the most common causes of heart attack are blocks in the arteries that feed blood to the heart. Arteries can become blocked for many reasons; one reason is if plaque builds up inside them. High cholesterol levels also increase your risk.

Men seem more likely than women to get a first heart attack before age 40, but women who do have strokes generally do so before menopause, which could be due to hormones or biological differences between men and women. Studies show that some natural remedies may help prevent or ease certain symptoms of heart disease in both sexes of all ages, including ginger root extracts and hawthorn extracts among others.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, or metabolic problems.

High blood pressure can be caused by tobacco smoking, sustained systolic hypertension (high BP over a long period), chronic kidney disease, and congestive heart failure. Smoking is common among people with this risk factor for developing high BP. Diabetes usually contributes. Most women are affected because of their worse cardiovascular risk profiles than men across the lifespan in industrialized countries barring severe sex differences in mortality rates before 30 or 40 years of age due to other causes such as trauma or violence.

There are many possible reasons for young people to get heart attacks. Three common scenarios include

1) too much physical exertion,

2) an injury,

3) natural stressors.

Now that you're over the big hump of your teens into your twenties, it can be easy to start squeezing in more time at the gym or starting a new exciting hobby - but just like everything else in life, it's important to pace yourself if you want to avoid unanticipated consequences.

(1) Any major change can put pressure on your heart and cause problems.

(2) Playing with matches too close has its risks as well. Besides working out excessively aka tiring-out your heart by exercising or playing sports for hours at a time without any time off.

The reason for young people to get heart attacks is often due to the accumulation of plaque in the arteries that lead to your heart. Plaque blocks blood flow, which can cause a person's cholesterol levels to increase. Excessive cholesterol brings about higher risks of hardening in the arteries. So if you are experiencing chest pain or discomfort when you exert yourself, seek medical help immediately.

Despite this very complicated and multifunctional organ, the most widely accepted theory is that coronary artery disease leads to plaque buildup in your arteries making them narrow or even blocking them.

The narrowing of the arteries restricts the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. This lack of blood supply can lead to chest pain (angina) and eventual heart attacks. Ten percent of patients with angina will have a heart attack within 3 months without effective treatment for their symptoms, but there are treatments available which range from medications to surgery for this common problem.

Depression is the leading cause of heart attack among young people all over the world. Though it's beyond difficult, if depressed young adults can't get help for depression, their risk of a heart attack goes up astronomically.

Finally, Most of the causes are lifestyle-related. Many people get heart attacks in their 20s, 30s, and 40s because they have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. The list goes on. These conditions are not so common in kids or teens under 18 years old. And even if these did apply to younger people it would be hard to say that they always cause a heart attack when there are other factors like genetics that may play a role too.

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Sadness is a normal emotional

Difference Between Sadness and Depression: Understanding Normal Emotions vs Mental Illness

Feeling low or unhappy is a part of being human. However, not all low moods are the same. Many people confuse sadness with depression, which can delay proper support and treatment. Understanding the difference between sadness and depression is crucial for mental health awareness, early intervention and reducing stigma.

In India, mental health conditions are often misunderstood, with emotional distress frequently dismissed as temporary sadness.

 

What Is Sadness?

Sadness is a normal human emotion.

It usually occurs due to:

  • loss or disappointment

  • relationship issues

  • failure or stress

  • temporary life challenges

Sadness serves a psychological purpose, allowing individuals to process emotions and adapt.

 

Key Characteristics of Sadness

Sadness is:

  • situational

  • temporary

  • emotionally painful but manageable

  • responsive to support and positive events

A person experiencing sadness can still function, enjoy moments and feel hopeful.

 

What Is Depression?

Depression is a medical condition classified as a mood disorder.

It affects:

  • emotions

  • thinking patterns

  • behaviour

  • physical health

According to WHO, depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

 

Core Symptoms of Depression

Depression involves a combination of symptoms such as:

  • persistent low mood

  • loss of interest or pleasure

  • fatigue

  • sleep disturbances

  • appetite changes

  • feelings of worthlessness

  • difficulty concentrating

These symptoms last at least two weeks or longer.

 

Duration: A Key Difference

One major difference lies in duration.

Sadness:

  • lasts hours or days

  • improves with time

Depression:

  • lasts weeks or months

  • persists despite positive events

Duration helps distinguish emotional response from illness.

 

Impact on Daily Functioning

Sadness:

  • allows continuation of work and relationships

  • may reduce motivation temporarily

Depression:

  • interferes with work, studies and relationships

  • reduces self-care and productivity

Functional impairment is a defining feature of depression.

 

Emotional Experience: Sadness vs Depression

Sadness:

  • allows emotional range

  • moments of joy still occur

Depression:

  • creates emotional numbness

  • joy and interest disappear

People with depression often describe feeling empty rather than sad.

 

Physical Symptoms in Depression

Depression is not only emotional.

Physical symptoms include:

  • chronic fatigue

  • body aches

  • headaches

  • digestive issues

ICMR mental health studies highlight the physical burden of depression.

 

Thought Patterns and Self-Perception

Sadness:

  • thoughts remain realistic

  • self-worth is preserved

Depression:

  • negative self-talk dominates

  • feelings of guilt and worthlessness increase

These cognitive changes deepen emotional suffering.

 

Risk Factors for Depression

Factors increasing depression risk include:

  • chronic stress

  • trauma

  • family history

  • medical illnesses

  • hormonal changes

NFHS-5 data indicates rising mental health concerns among young adults.

 

Can Sadness Turn Into Depression?

Yes, prolonged or unresolved sadness can progress into depression.

This is more likely when:

  • stressors are ongoing

  • support systems are weak

  • coping mechanisms are limited

Early emotional support can prevent progression.

 

When to Seek Professional Help

Seek help if:

  • low mood lasts more than two weeks

  • daily functioning is affected

  • sleep and appetite are disturbed

  • thoughts of self-harm occur

Early care leads to better outcomes.

 

Treatment Differences

Sadness:

  • improves with rest, support and time

Depression:

  • requires psychotherapy

  • may need medication

  • benefits from structured care

WHO emphasises early treatment to reduce disability.

 

Role of Social Support

Support systems help both conditions but are essential for recovery.

Depression recovery improves with:

  • understanding family

  • supportive workplaces

  • accessible mental healthcare

Stigma reduction is key.

 

Mental Health Awareness in India

Mental health remains underdiagnosed in India.

NITI Aayog reports:

  • limited access to mental health services

  • low awareness

  • high stigma

Education helps bridge this gap.

 

Importance of Early Recognition

Recognising depression early:

  • prevents worsening

  • reduces suicide risk

  • improves quality of life

Delay increases suffering and complications.

 

Supporting Someone With Depression

Helpful actions include:

  • listening without judgement

  • encouraging professional help

  • avoiding minimising feelings

Compassion is more effective than advice.

 

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between sadness and depression is essential for emotional wellbeing and mental health care. Sadness is a natural, temporary response to life events, while depression is a serious medical condition that affects thoughts, emotions and daily functioning. Recognising the signs early and seeking appropriate help can prevent long-term suffering and promote recovery. Mental health deserves the same attention and care as physical health.

 

References

  • World Health Organization (WHO) – Depression and Mental Health Disorders

  • Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – Mental Health Research and Burden

  • National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) – Mental Health Indicators

  • Lancet – Depression, Disability and Public Health

  • NITI Aayog – National Mental Health Policy and Awareness Reports

  • Statista – Global and Indian Mental Health Trends

See all

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