From vaping and smoking to uncontrolled stress: Trigger alerts by heart patients in 20s and 30s
On World Heart Day, survivors say they have become wiser now, with healthier lifestyles
Abu Dhabi: When Abu Dhabi-based Salahuddeen Badsha, 32, visited the doctor for severe abdominal discomfort, he didn’t expect it to be the precursor to a heart attack. He sought pain relief before heading to work, but collapsed while lying down for an ECG, losing his pulse and blood pressure. The medical team quickly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and placed him on a ventilator. After 50 minutes of CPR and 12 shocks, they managed to restore his heart rhythm.
Badsha recalls it was the first time he experienced such symptoms, which included severe chest heaviness and mild sweating before collapsing.
“I’m lucky to have survived a major heart attack. My high cholesterol levels and poor lifestyle likely contributed,” says Badsha, who suffered an ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe type of heart attack. The medical team, led by Dr. Jose John, Specialist in Cardiology at LLH Hospital, Musaffah, performed an emergency angioplasty, placing a stent in the blocked artery, thereby saving his life.
The incident was a wake-up call for Badsha, who is now under medication, exercises regularly and maintains a healthy diet.
This is not an isolated case. On World Heart Day today, youngsters like Badsha are sounding the alarm as those in their 20s or 30s are increasingly suffering heart attacks. According to doctors, factors such as undiagnosed genetic conditions, poor lifestyle choices, environmental and social stressors, hypertension, infections, and inflammation are increasing the risk.
Common heart attack symptoms include chest pain, unusual sweating, breathlessness, and pain radiating to the arm or jaw. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often ignored or misdiagnosed in young people, leading to severe outcomes later, they said.
No one knows this better than Alexine Jessica P. Piega, 31, from Sharjah. She recently had fulminant myocarditis, a severe inflammation of the heart muscle likely caused by a viral infection, which is rare among young people. Despite leading a healthy lifestyle with no addictions, she began experiencing chest pain, excessive sweating, headaches, fatigue even at rest, swollen feet, and severe left-sided chest pain. Initially misdiagnosed as a respiratory infection, her condition escalated to cardiac arrest, leaving her feeling sad, angry and anxious. Fortunately, her family, friends and healthcare providers at Burjeel Specialty Hospital in Sharjah helped save her life.
Her doctor, Dr. Mohammed M. Sulieman, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, said Piega had a history of high blood pressure and had been dealing with shortness of breath and cough for two weeks before her correct diagnosis.
Grateful to be alive, Piega said , “I’ve changed my eating habits, now consuming foods lower in salt and preservatives, avoiding processed meals, and including more fruits and vegetables. I also exercise for an hour every day.”
Sudden heart attacks have also taught Saidalavi Suhail, 26, and Abdelrahman Ehab Farouk Soliman, 22, the importance of following a better lifestyle. Excessive smoking. they have been told, has impacted their heart health.
Suhail initially experienced severe stomach pain, which was initially misdiagnosed as gastritis. But when his symptoms persisted, he consulted Dr. Younes Altaia, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Medeor Hospital, Abu Dhabi, who discovered a blockage in a major heart artery. Later, the blockage was cleared by placing a stent to keep the artery open. Suhail says that cardiac issues run in his family, and his poor lifestyle choices, including smoking, worsened his condition.
Similarly, Soliman’s chronic smoking—two packs of cigarettes per day—was the primary cause of his cardiac arrest. The warning sign was pain on his left shoulder, which persisted for about two weeks before leading to a heart attack. Dr. Jayakeerthi Rao, Consultant in Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Heart Failure at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, says that Soliman has no family history of cardiac issues.
Following the episode, both Suhail and Soliman have decided to quit smoking and adopt healthier lifestyles to improve their heart health.
In another case, Dubai-based Jordanian expat Mohamad Jehad Abdallah, also a smoker, suffered a heart attack when was 33. According to doctors at the Medcare Hospital, he was highly stressed and would smoke at least five to six cigarettes every day.
One morning, he woke up with severe back pain, and when he saw a general practitioner, an ECG was recommended.
One morning, he woke up with severe back pain, and when he saw a general practitioner, an ECG was recommended. The results were alarming, and he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
Prevention is the key
Can cardiac issues among young people be prevented? Doctors suggest that preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk.
Dr. Yogeeswari Vellore Satyanarayanan, Specialist Cardiology, Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, Al Qusais, said “Stress, whether psychological or physical, significantly affects heart health. Psychological stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, thereby straining the cardiovascular system. This can lead to hypertension, acute heart attacks, and abnormal heart rhythms.
Acute emotional stress through a sudden surge in these stress hormones also can trigger a condition mimicking acute heart attack wherein there is a transient drop in heart pumping function - broken heart syndrome. Also, women are more prone than men to develop mental stress-induced cardiac events.”
According to Dr Rao, “Regular screening for cholesterol levels, engaging in at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week, managing stress, maintaining good sleep hygiene, and keeping a healthy weight are essential.”
Early and effective management can lower the risk of heart attacks and other vascular events. Individuals should seek immediate medical attention if they experience unfamiliar chest discomfort, such as pain, heaviness, or a crushing sensation, especially if accompanied by difficulty breathing, profuse sweating, or pain radiating to the left arm or throat.