Younger aged people are suffering deadlier heart attacks. Even though more quality health information is “out there” and we hear what we should do, too many are not doing it.

This information came out one of my favorite medical places, the Cleveland Clinic. They get a lot of severe heart attack cases flown in to their facilities from diverse geographical states. They have been tracking how these folks lived and compared it to years past.

Looking at almost 4000 patients who were treated for the most dangerous and deadly heart attack called the STEMI, the researchers found these attacks are happening to younger and younger men and women.

There are health blogs everywhere. Docs are supposedly mentioning things you can do to improve your health at your regular visits. What’s going on?

Perhaps in our 20’s and even our 30’s, people get motivated to eat more raw foods, down green drinks and enter marathons. But when hormones start to wane, and people have families and more responsibilities, and in our later 30’s and 40’s… we are not keeping with the health movement.

We sit too much. Eat too much. Eat too much junk. And don’t go outdoors.

A STEMI heart attack is when one of the heart’s main arteries becomes completely blocked by plaque. It carries a very high risk of death and disability.

Who is most at risk of getting this?

Folks, who smoke, are over weight, have uncontrolled high blood pressure, eat a junk food diet, and have lung disease (often secondary to smoking).

Genetics plays some role. But many risk factors can be reduced through how we CHOOSE to live.

The Cleveland clinic found within an almost 15 year span (1995 to 2014):
• The prevalence of obesity increased from 31 to 40 percent,
• Diabetes increased from 24 to 31 percent,
• High blood pressure grew from 55 to 77 percent,
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rose from 5 to 12 percent,
• Smoking rates INCREASED from 28 to 46 percent (their finding was counter to national trends, which reflect an overall decline in smoking rates over the past 20 years).

More folks have 3 or those above major risk factors for these dangerous heart attacks. At younger ages.

TAKE HOME: Do not wait to get ill to get your act together. Start taking care of yourself now!

6 Must Do’s To Protect Your Heart
1. Don’t smoke (if you live with a smoker have a free standing air filter as even their exhalations contain dangerous metabolites!)
2. Get to a good weight (look at yourself nude in the mirror and take action!)
3. Eat more plant food and less fried, sugary, junk foods (do it!)
4. Make sure your blood pressure is normal (know your blood pressure!)
5. Exercise at least 20 minutes 4 to 5 times a week (move, move, move!)
6. Get hormones tested and balanced. (I see that many folks stop exercising and start getting lazy because their unhealthy hormones make them feel more tired and ding their motivation. Also, balanced hormones directly protect your heart as they prevent the muscle cell of the heart, the cardiomyocyte, from “dying” prematurely.

From Presentation at the 65th Annual American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Session. “Heart attack patients getting younger, more obese: Analysis of 2 decades reveals risk factors are on the rise, despite greater awareness.”